The Village Of Sin
by Spyderjsr
Summary: The war in Konoha rages on and Hinata is forced to protect Naruto as the white shinobi closes in. Tsunade must fight a heartwrenching battle against her ressurected loved ones. And Keinea has a surprised in store for Sasuke
1. All Gather in The Wave Country

**Chapter 1: All Gather at Wave Country**

It's been over a year since Sasuke's defection from the Village of Konoha. Life is just starting to return to normal after a long period of rebuilding, training and preparation. Most of the Leaf Genin are still where the Manga left off. Naruto is no longer present in the village, Sakura continues her tutelage under the 5th Hokage and former Sannin, Tsunade, and most of the Genin are preparing for the oncoming hardships in now just less than two years time.

The story begins just outside the office of the 5th Hokage. Tsunade is prioritizing the number of requests for the service of leaf shinobi that have been received in the past couple days. As Tsunade starts to pour herself a fresh cup of sake from an ever-present table-side bottle, when there is a knock at the door . . .

"Enter!" Tsunade shouted while she puts down her sake bottle

Hagane Kotetsu, The personal assistant of the 5th Hokage walks in with a scroll in hand "Pardon my intrusion Hokage-sama."

"Ah, Kotetsu! I haven't seen you in a few hours. Where have you been hiding?"

"I have been refilling the paperwork that somehow found its way onto the floor of the record's room last night," Kotetsu said silently as he grinds his teeth and glares menacingly at Tsunade.

Tsunade embarrassed but chuckling replies, "Yea . . . about that . . . I was tired and must have knocked the pile over . . . heh heh heh."

"No, you were drunk!"

Tsunade shakes her head, "Anyway, what can I help you with?"

"This letter came for you today." As Tsunade unrolls the scroll, Kotetsu says, "Its from the Wave Country. It's for your eyes only it says, so I have no idea what it is."

"Hmm. Thank you Kotetsu that will be all."

Kotetsu leaves the room and Tsunade sits back down in her chair. "So, the Wave Country is holding a tournament eh? " Tsunade says to herself with a smile on her face.

The scene changes to the roof top of the Hokage building. Tsunade is joined by Neji, Shino, Ino, and Chouji. Beside Tsunade are Shizune and Sakura. Sakura is wearing her traditional outfit but her hair has been grown out and is tied in a single pony tail, and her head protector is now hanging from her neck. Ino goes over to greet her old friend as the two have not seen each other for some time due to Sakura's rigorous training regiment enforced by Tsunade.

"So, Sakura may I ask why it is that we have been summoned here?"

"I don't really know. We were just told to meet Tsunade-sama here just as you were. Ok shhh. She's about to begin."

Tsunade takes a look at all of the shinobi gathered before her."Thank you all for gathering here. I received a letter from the Daimyo of the Wave Country this afternoon. It was requesting the presence of a select group of shinobi of my choosing, and myself"

Akimichi Chouji raises his hand with a question for the Hokage. "Uh, Hokage-Sama . . . Why are WE being asked to go to the Wave Country?"

"Well Chouji, the Wave Country has been in the middle of an incredible revolution. Since the bridge was completed almost two years ago, the country has become somewhat of an economic super power. Trade lanes have opened up, and the country is receiving valuable imports and selling exports. The country has more then quintupled the amount of revenue the country annually receives."

A thought goes of in Ino's head and she feels compelled to add her two cents. "What exactly is so great about that? I thought the wave country still made very little when it came to their economy?"

"Well that is true," Tsunade replies with a grin on her face. "However they quintupled the annual income in only three months!! They also opened trade negotiations with their long time enemies in the Thunder Country. The Country is turning into a very wealthy and powerful country. The reason they have asked for us to come to the country is, they are planning a celebration to welcome the new era of prosperity. They have decided to hold a tournament in the newly constructed arena. So the wave country has assembled their own team to take place in the Exhibition tournament, and they have invited their new friends in the Hidden Cloud village to take part as well. Our village was selected to take place due to Konoha's valuable contribution in the construction of that bridge."

Having flashbacks to Team 7's mission to protect Tazuna and the fight with Zabuza and Haku, Sakura interjects, "I remember that! That was my old teams first A-Rank mission!"

"You genin have been chosen completely at random to take part in the tournament," replies Tsunade.

Aburame Shino in a soft but confident voice asks, "Are all of us participating? I assume that there is an equal number of genin from the other villages all participating."

"Not exactly," replies the Hokage. A confused look comes over the leaf genin. "You Shino, Chouji, Ino, and Neji are all participating in the tournament. Sakura, and Shizune will be a part of my entourage while in the wave Country. The four of you will be participating in the tournament. All other countries will have teams of five to take place in the tournament."

"But why do we only get four members while the other teams get five?" asks Chouji.

Neji replies, "A tournament of 15 doesn't work out properly. I assume we just got the short end of the deal and had to go with four in order to make the tournament fair."

"Actually there will be fifteen members in the tournament. The fifteenth member was divulged to me to be sent separately as a special guest in the tournament. He will receive a special slot in the tournament with a first round bi and will face the winner of one of the first round matches."

"Although it hardly seems fair, I will participate in this tournament," replies Shino

"Well that's good because this was not a request. It will be considered a mission for all of you. We leave tomorrow morning for the tournament. Dismissed."

All the genin leave and go their separate ways. As they all walk away the focus turns to Neji.

"_Finally I get to test myself and see how far along I have come. I will not be defeated again," _Neji then begins to have flashbacks to his near death fight with Kidoumaru. _"I have come so far since then. I need to see just how much I have improved. Learn my weaknesses . . . and eliminate them."_

The next day the group from the leaf village leaves for the wave country. Tsunade, Shizune, Sakura, Ino, Chouji, Shino, Neji and several ANBU members are included in the entourage. When the group arrives in the Wave Country, they are all speechless at the site. The streets of the country filled with people shopping, children playing and numerous tourists and entrepreneurs all entangled in the crowded streets. The caravan from the leaf arrives in the city of Taka along the Southern shore of the Wave Country. When they get there, they notice the new arena. Very similar in design the arena in the leaf village where the Chuunin Exam finals are usually held. The arena is blue in color representing the official color of the wave country and there is a large Inn next to the Arena.Tsunade gathers the group's attention and points to the large inn only a block away from the arena

"That's where we will all be staying. We all have our rooms in the west wing of the Inn. The delegates from the Thunder Country will be in the east wing. Everyone find your rooms and check in."

After a couple hours of settling into their rooms most Ino, Shizune, Tsunade and Sakura all chose to go sightseeing. (Under the watchful eye of Anbu bodyguards of coarse.) Chouji makes use of the Inn's restaurant and his VIP pass that all of the guests and participants received.

"Free? It's all free? You mean with this pass I can eat whatever I want for free? ," Chouji asks the attendant in the restaurant.

"Yes sir, that pass will allow you to help yourself to ANYTHING you would like in this village. You even get free access to our special meal of the day."

"What is the special?"

"Barbeque Pork and Hibachi beef," the employee replies

A grin begins to consume Chouji's face from ear to ear. "YOSHA!!!! BAR-BE-QUE!!! BAR-BE-QUE!!!"

Neji and Shino find their own secluded spots and begin preparation for the tournament. Neji continues the training he learned under his Uncle Hyuuga Hiashi. Neji picks a pot in the middle of several targets and attempts to hit all of them with kunai without using his byakugan. Then he throws his kunai into the air all at the same time and waits until the last second to start Hakkeshou Kaiten.

Shino on the other hand is training with his bugs and testing his own reaction time. Having half his bugs attack him with a bunshin, and then using the rest of the bugs he attempts to battle the clone and match it move for move.

The next day the fighters gather for the tournament. A group of four shinobi from the village of the hidden cloud, all dressed in black from head to toe are making their way to the arena. One of the shinobi is the other three's jounin sensei and all of them are wearing long black trench coats and black rice hats. Their ominous appearance catches the attention of Sakura and Tsunade.

"Who are those guys Tsunade-Sama? ," Questions Sakura

"They look to be shinobi from the hidden cloud. But why didn't they arrive with the other members of their team? Or with The Raikage_?"_

The two leaf shinobi also notice two men walking by wearing white cloaks with large thick hoods. One of the men appears to be the sensei due to his obvious height and most likely age. The other is much shorter. The smaller of the two mean glances slightly, over at Sakura. Sakura cannot see the young man's face and shrugs it off as just another guest. The large man turns to the smaller of the two.

"Remember what we talked about. Not yet."

"Right. Sorry Sensei."

The four shinobi from the Cloud village walk passed the other two participants from their village Tenge and Sakamo.

"Hey Tenge. I don't recognize these guys. Do you?"

"No Sakamo. I don't really think they are from our village at all. What about their jounin? He's got to be someone we know. Otherwise, these shinobi couldn't even be here. The Raikage wouldn't take anyone he didn't know."

The tallest of the four shinobi overhears what the two cloud genin have been saying and lets out an unamused sigh. "Henge!" He whispers. The Mysterious Cloud shinobi takes off his rice hat to show a young adult with dirty blond spikey hair and a Cloud village head protector.

Sakamo's face lights up as he now realizes who the mystery shinobi is.

"AHA!! Shin-sensei!! I didn't know it was you!!"

Shin replies with a large boyish grin on his face, "Sakamo! For shame. You need to have a little bit more faith in me. I wasn't going to let you two guys come to the now prosperous Wave Country and have ALL of the fun now am I?"

Tenge interjects "Sensei,you are always so happy go lucky. Who are these shinobi then?"

"Oh they are some special students of mine that I have been asked to take care of and train. Raikage's special order."

The remaining shinobi remove their hats. As Sakamo recognizes them all, he begins to name them all off in succession.

"Oh I know you all now! From left to right I believe your names are, Yukina, Kumo, and Yamu right?"

Yukina is an overweight female shinobi with rosey cheeks and bright green hair. Kumo is a scrawny tall shinobi with a shaved head and a scar under his right eye. And Yamu is a short well built shinobi with long brown hair.

"Well boys," Shins words catch the attention of the two other Cloud genin, "if you will excuse us we have to make our way to the arena"

The shinobi then make their way inside the arena, while Sakamo and Tenge gossip amongst each other.

"Man that Yukina girl sure is a porker," Tenge says while whispering to Sakamo, "She was in my class and was always winking at me."

Sakamo covers his face to keep Yukina from hearing his frantic giggling, "Quiet you fool she'll hear you. You might lose an arm. She was probably just winking at you because you smelt like ramen."

As the cloud shinobi walk away from the other two Yukina turns to Shin.

"This is embarrassing. Couldn't you have found anyone else for us to impersonate?"

"I agree," says Yamu, "If I have to use Henge in this form much longer I swear I am going to snap."

"I hope this plan of yours will work Toshida," states the tall and lanky Kumo. "This is a dangerous game we are playing. If we are caught prematurely our plan will not work out and we will have done all this work for nothing."

Shin turns to Kumo with an angry look on his face and his eyes wide open, "Quiet you fool." He says in a quiet but brooding tone. "Remember what our names are in these forms. If anyone hears, you refer to me otherwise then the risk of us being caught will increase exponentially." Shin then turns to Yukina and says in a childish and mocking tone, "I apologize for not killing anyone a little aesthetically pleasing for you . . . Yuuukiiiina . . . "

As Yukina grinds her teeth in rage, the four shinobi then begin to make their way to the arena. All the other fighters begin to gather at their respective places in the arena. After the announcement is made, all fighters report to the center of the arena. The battle field is an area covered with numerous types of terrain. A small pond at the back of the ring allows for Suiton (Water Element) techniques. As well as a small amount of ice, sand, small rock formations and numerous trees. All these obstacles allow for a more intricate battleground and allow the use of many different kinds of jutsu. Also, allowing for a more entertaining fight.

The Mizukage, Raikage and Tsunade all have their honored seats on the first balcony of the arena's massive audience. Tsunade has Shizune and Sakura by her side while the other kages have their bodyguards as well. Shin takes his place, next to the Raikage. The Mizukage approaches Tsunade. He is a Large portly man with an appearance similar to that of a member of the Akimichi clan.

"Ah, Hokage-dono. It is so nice to see you again. Tsunade. It has been a long timeI was so sorry to hear about the third. Sarutobi was a kind old man"

"Yes he was," Tsunade begins to think to herself of how blatantly annoying the small portly man has become in such a short time. "I was not in the village when he was killed but I have had my fight with the man who did it."

"Ah yes. OrochimaruWith the funding that the hidden mist village has been getting recently our shinobi are becoming a force to be reckoning with. When this tournament is over you and I will have to talk about a possible allianceagainst the sound village. I hear that Orochimaru also has the sharingan now. I doubt that he will stop there. Our village could be the next one on his hit list."

Tsunade's mood changes as she has received the first offer of good will in a long time. "Let us meet up after the tournament and discuss this issue in detail," Tsunade says in a bright and cheering voice. She turns about and begins to make her way to her seat to watch the matches. She turns back to the Mizukage and says, "Over a cup of sake of coarse."

Meanwhile, the Raikage turns to Shin and looks at him curiously. Shin has an anxious look on his face and he is constantly looking around the arena

"_Hmm. 4 ANBU members from the leaf, 6 from the Cloud. And 10 from the Mist_._ 9 people on the first balcony. 7 on the second." _Shin says to himself

The Raikage gets the wayward minded shinobi's attention. "Shin!! What's the matter with you? You look a little nervous"

"N-not at all Raikage-sama. Just excited to see my students in action."

"Why do you have these students though Shin? I thought you were assigned to Sakamo and Tenge."

"With all due respect Raikage-sama Sakamo and Tenge have learned about all I can teach them for now. These other random students that got picked for this tournament had their jounin sensei's all out of the village on missions. So I took it upon myself to train them and get them ready for the tournament to better our villages chances of success. Thereby bringing honor and pride to you as well Raikage-sama."

"Ah, Shin. I always loved that attitude about you. So selfless."

"Arigato Raikage-Sama." The expression on Shins face changes from a boyish grin to a disgusted smirk. _"I should have killed you when I had the chance. Such an incompetent kages. So easily susceptible to the most outlandish of lies and trickery._"

Seconds later, The Daimyo of the wave country sits on the upper level balcony with his guards and the rest of his entourage. The Daimyo stands to address the crowd and all the tournament participants.

"Welcome ladies and gentleman, honored guests and tournament participants. This tournament is to celebrate the new era for our country. We have invited our new friends of the thunder country to share in this momentous occasion." Shouts the tall and handsome Daimyo as the crowd gives a massive ovation to the honored guests from the thunder country."We also would like to welcome our honored guests from the Village of Konoha. Their brave Shinobi allowed the bridge that has brought in this new era of hope and good fortune, to be built and to be maintained. We thank, and welcome you all. Now I will turn this over to the examiner who explain the rules of this tournament. Please remain silent until the examiner has finished talking"

The examiner is a female shinobi with short blond hair. She wears her head protector almost as a hair tie, spiking her hair up further at the back She looks about the crowd and the participants.

"These fights will be expected to be fair and honorable. The fight is over only through knockout or submission. Or when I decide the fight is over. There will be NO killing whatsoever. A kill will result in disqualification from the tournament and possible criminal charges. Only two fighters will be in the ring at one time. All other participants will be in the fighters area up on the second level. Where they will await their time to fight. After a fighter is eliminated from the tournament they may watch the rest of the fight in the audience or return to their room."

The tournament participants begin to look amongst one another and begin to think to themselves as to who there opponent will be.

"And now on to the prize. The winning of this tournament will have not only bragging rights, but they will have their name inscribed on this arena. For Example; If Shinji Gabon wins, the arena will be named The Shinji Gabon arena. The winner will also receive a deluxe VIP pass. This pass will be useable anywhere in water country, allowing for VIP treatment anytime you are in the country and making everything free were applicable."

Chouji's face lights up in delight at the thought of being able to eat BBQ for free anytime he decides to visit the Wave Country. "_I wonder if father would consider moving to the wave country. Heh Heh Heh, BAR-BE-QUE!! BAR-BE-QUE!!"_

Chouji's daydreams are cut short as the examiner continues to explain the tournament. "All fights have been predetermined."

1st Match: Yukina vs. Sheena

2nd Match: Hyuuga Neji vs. Shinji Gabon

3rd Match: Kui vs. Aburame Shino

4th Match: Dome vs. Agi

5th Match: Yamu vs. Tengu

6th Match: Kumo vs. Yamanaka Ino

7th Match: Akimichi Chouji vs.Sakamo

"Our mystery fighter will receive a Bi to the next round and face the winner of the Chouji, Sakamo fight. After the first round is over, there will be a two hour break while the ring is fixed and the fighters are aloud to replenish chakra and recover from any injuries. The same will be done between all rounds. Now then, first two fighters to the center of the ring. All other fighters to the fighters area."

As the fighters take their respective places in the arena the crowd begins to cheer loudly in excitement of the upcoming entertainment. The still ominous cloud ninjas remain slightly distant from the rest of the fighters, and before Yamu and Kumo retreat to the fighters section, Yamu turns to the other two

"Remember the plan. Be conservative, don't show our abilities and keep the matches short. Use only basic skills and taijutsu. Conserve your chakra cause we are gonna need every bit of it. Wait for the signal and be efficient. Otherwise non of us will be leaving this arena."

Yukina and Kumo respond in unison, "Got it!"

Back on the first balcony. Shin glances at his teammates and nods in approval. He takes a quick look to his far right at the 5th Hokage.

"_So that's her. The legendary medical ninja, the _5th_ Hokage... Tsunade. Hmph. Not much to look at. But regardless, she is our target and she is my prey. And there is no better predator than myself." _Shin smiles with amusement as his eyes seem to glow with a green piercing glance directed at the two fighters in the ring_. "Hmph. Let the games begin..."_

The examiner raises her hand to grab everyone's attention. "1st Match, Cloud Villages Yukina versus Mist Villages Sheena. Both fighters to the center."

Both fighters approach the center of the ring and shake hands. Yukina thinks to herself.

"I still hope I can move about properly in this fat ass body"

The examiner looks at both competitors, "READY??!!" Both of the Shinobi nod in approval and the examiner says while swiping down her hand, "Then I am proud to say, the first match of the tournament, BEGIN!!"


	2. The Tournament Begins

_(Any corrections, or any help in the translations from Japanese to English and English to Japanese please leave it in your review)_

**Chapter 2: The Tournament Begins**

The first match of the tournament begins with Sheena of the Hidden Mist village facing off against Hidden Clouds Yukina. Sheena starts by jumping backwards away from the center of the ring while throwing a flurry of shuriken at Yukina. Yukina blocks the shuriken away with her Kunai and starts her charge toward Sheena. With a kunai in each hand, Yukina begins to swipe at Sheena in a flurry of stabs and slices. Sheena manages to all of the attacks and gets some distance between Yukina and herself.

Meanwhile, the audience is in an uproar. It's been a long time since the Wave Country had live entertainment of such magnitude. Tenge and Sakamo are looking on in disbelief as the former laughing stock of their class is now moving faster and more fluently then half of the shinobi in the village.

"Whoa!" Exclaims Sakamo. "I have never seen Yukina move that fast. She was always slow and sluggish whenever it came to taijutsu, but now it looks as if it's the main thing she has focused on."

"Weird!" Tenge says as he nods in agreement with a look of disbelief on his face.

The shinobi continue to trade kunai attacks, each countering one another's moves precisely. Sheena manages to knock Yukina back with a kick to the stomach. Sheena moves quickly to the pool at the back of the ring. She then starts a jutsu. The focus turns to the 1st balcony and the Mizukage.

"_Hmm. Sheena is already trying to bring out her trump card. She had better hope that she can hit this technique and end it or she will not have much chakra to make a recovery."_

Sheena closes her eyes and concentrates as she begins the appropriate hand seals for the jutsu

"_Dog, Boar, Rat, Tiger_, _Horse, Dragon, Rat, Ox, Monkey, Tiger. **SUITON: SUIRYUUDAN NO JUTSU**_ _(Water Dragon Blast)_"

The water behind Sheena begins to churn and a large dragon made of water arises from the pool and lunges out at Yukina. Yukina tries to outrun the water dragon but it becomes evident to her that trying to outrun the dragon will not succeed.

"There is no use!" Sheena hollers to her opponent with a confident smile across her face. "You're trapped in my favorite technique. When this technique connects, this match will be mine."

Yukina stops in her tracks and turns toward the water dragon. As the dragon comes barreling down toward her, she begins to crack a smile, and starts her own jutsu. She places her hands in the seal of the dog. (One hand flat out over a clenched fist).

"_**Ninpo:** **Chakra Body Shock No Jutsu**" _(Translation?)

Yukina then places both her hands out toward the dragon, and the dragon connects with Yukina. The dragon then explodes sending water everywhere around the ring and into the audience. The examiner blocks his face and tries to maintain a visual on both competitors, but he can only see Sheena. Yukina is nowhere to be found. Sheena begins to ask herself what just happened, and whether or not her technique was successful. With her kunai at the ready and her hand reaching for her shuriken pouch, she frantically looks around to see if she can get a view of Yukina's position. All of the water has made a thick mist that is making visibility very limited. Before she can react, she feels Yukina behind her. She spins around quickly and Yukina places her left hand on Sheena's chest.

"CLEAR!" Yukina shouts as a large amount of chakra travels at lightning speed through Yukina's arm and directly into Chest.

Sheena then convulses as if hit with a sledgehammer in the chest. She flies back a few feet and falls to the ground. Her breathing is heavily labored and it is evident that she is in a lot of pain. She remains conscious but raises her hand. Telling the examiner that she has given up and has lost the match. As a medical team rushes to the field to check on the fallen competitor, Sheena regains some of her composure and is able to leave the ring under her own power but her breathing remains very labored. Yukina watches as Sheena is helped from the ring and then smiles at the thought of her easy victory.

The examiner looks at both competitors and then raise's Yukina's hand, "Winner of the 1st Match: Yukina!"

The crowd cheers at the entertaining spectacle already shown to them in only the first match. The crowd then begins to talk amongst one another as to whether or not the next match will be as good as the one before.

Yukina returns to the fighters area and rejoins her comrades. "So much for subtlety," says Kumo. "You shouldn't have revealed a signature technique in this tournament. Now if we are called into conflict, our enemies know what you are capable of."

"Give it a rest Kumo," Yukina snaps as she turns her back to her teammate. "That bitch went for broke and she paid for it. No one gets over confident when they fight me, NOBODY!"

Yamu interjects, "That is what you have to realize. You are NOT you right now. You are in the guise of that fat ass, so from now on, you will act like it. Unless of coarse, you want to deal with "brother" later on."

Yukina grimaces and begins to sweat a little. The mere mention of Yamu's brother has scared Yukina. Her attention however is diverted to two other Mist Shinobi making there way toward the three Cloud Ninjas.

"Your teammate lost fair and square, all fights stay in the tournament. No fighting here," Yamu says as he steps up to the two approaching shinobi.

"Hey don't worry, we just had to come over and say hello to this lovely lady." Says the taller of the two men. He is a fairly handsome boy with a bright smile and dirty blond hair. As he begins to move closer to Yukina, she becomes visibly angered. "Hi there, my name is Agi. This is my teammate Dome." Agi moves his face close, almost right up next to Yukina's fat rosy red cheeks. "You were quite incredible out there. I think maybe after this tournament you and I should go out for a bite to eat." Yukina huffs and turns her back to Agi. Agi puts his hand on Yukina's shoulder and says, "Oh c'mon darling don't play hard to get. A tall handsome young man like me and a cute chubby girl like you, it's a perfect match."

Then, something in Yukina begins to snap. Her blatant hatred for the form she has been forced to take begins to overflow after the friendly Mist ninja's unwanted advances. Yukina grabs Agi's hand tightly and keeps her eyes focused away from the two Mist ninjas.

"If I were you," Yukina says in a maniacal chuckle. "I would get a doctor to look at that hand."

Yukina then releases the boy's hand and she begins to walk away. The two mist ninjas just look at one another confused.

"What are you talking about? My hand is fine. . . AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" The horrified boy screams out in panic as he looked down to see his hand limp and severely deformed. "What the hell did you do to me you fat bitch?! How dare you!"

As Yukina walks away laughing to herself, her teammates look at one another and let out a sigh. They then begin to jog to catch up to Yukina as the two mist shinobi are left to try and figure out what to do now, seeing as they are set to face each other in only a few minutes' time.

Yamu grabs Yukina's arm and spins her around, "What the hell did you just do to that kids hand?"

Yukina shuts her eyes as she continues laughing to herself. "I simply used one of my medical techniques to separate all of his knuckles and break up most of the cartilage in his hand. I assure you, he felt no pain and won't feel any pain. . . Until a medic has to set all the bones back in."

Yamu and Kumo look at one another and begin to laugh. Yukina joins in with a laugh of her own.

"Don't worry it was a simple technique, no permanent damage, and nothing that brings us too much attention. Besides, he will have to forfeit his match and that works out better in our favor does it not? "

Before Yamu or Kumo can respond the crowd ignites with an ovation as the examiner has called for the next two competitors to meet in the ring. The next fight is Hyuuga Neji vs. the mist village's Shinji Gabon. Both of the competitors have already met in the ring and have shaken hands. Shinji Gabon is an enormous shinobi. He stands at least a foot taller then Neji and must outweigh him by more than a hundred pounds. His outfit is torn and his bare muscles are bulging out of numerous rips and tears. Both competitors take a few steps back away from one another, and the examiner raises her left arm.

"Let the 2nd Match, Leaf Villages, Hyuuga Neji vs. The Mist Villages Shinji Gabon," The examiner then throws her arm down in front of her as she says, "BEGIN!"

Neji is the first to make a move, demonstrating his obvious speed advantage, Neji jumps upward and throws two shuriken and a kunai directly at Gabon. Neji's goal is obvious not to end the match right away, but to test how fast the big man moves. As the throwing weapons speed closer and closer to Gabon, he closes his eyes and begins to focus. A confident smirk takes over his face as he continues to stand his ground. Neji looks on in horror as all three weapons connect and hit Gabon directly in the chest.

The crowd gasps in astonishment as this giant of a shinobi just stood his ground and was hit with three direct hits. However they are even more astonished when Gabon begins laughing. Gabon then flexes only a little and all three weapons fall to the ground. Neji remains awestruck as his notices that none of the weapons even pierced Gabon's skin.

"_What is this? How could he simply just block all three attacks with only his muscles?" _As Neji ponders to himself, his opponent picks up all three weapons and throws them behind him. _"This is not right. Whatever this is, it will not elude me. **BYAKUGAN!"**_

Neji's x-ray eyes begin to scan his opponent. He notices that most of Gabon's chakrahas been diverted to just under his skin and it's thickly concentrated throughout his muscles.

"_I see now. He has used his own chakra to strengthen his epidermal layers making them harder to pierce." _As Neji deducts the nature of his opponent's strange ability, Gabon addresses Neji.

"So I imagine you are wondering why your weapons didn't pierce my body. My clan has mastered the Juko-Kai (Iron Shirt) taijutsu style." Gabon says, as he flexes his muscles and looks over his ripped figure. "I can concentrate my bodies chakra to my own muscles and strengthen them to the density of steel. So throw all the weapons you want at me. I can tell by your stance that you are a taijutsu user, so be my guest, punch me as hard as you can and you will still never be able to make a scratch on my perfect figure." Gabon then flexes his muscles some more and then begins to charge at Neji. "Another advantage to this fighting style is that my fists can also be reinforced with chakra making them as powerful as sledgehammer."

The musclebound behemoth charges at Neji revealing that he indeed did have a tremendous amount of speed to back up his muscle. As the shinobi charges at Neji, Neji closes his eyes and reopens them with his trademark confident smile. The gigantic Mist shinobi throws a fast and heavy punch with his left hand and directly at Neji's head. Neji calmly avoids the punch and strikes Gabon in the stomach.

"Heh heh heh, I told you it was useless you little punk," Gabon says as eyes being to roll back in his head. "You can't . . hurt. . . me. . ."

The muscular giant falls to the ground face first and shows no signs of moving at all. The referee runs over to the fallen shinobi and does a quick check of his vitals. After concluding the boy is alive but unconscious she stands up and raises Neji's hand.

"The winner of the 2nd Match: Hyuuga Neji!!"

Neji looks at the body of the vain mist shinobi and shakes his head. "If you faced any other opponent, you might have one. You can train your muscles and bones all you want. Make your body as thick and as impenetrable as the strongest shield. However if you cannot manage to train your internal organs in the process. . . then you're no threat to me."

As the crowd begins to applaud the focus turns to the first balcony, where Shin has been analyzing the fight with great interest. Shin stares at the falling member of the Shinji clan.

"_That's not exactly correct kid. An experienced juko kai user creates a wall of chakra around all of their muscles protecting their organs with an extremely dense shield that even a jyuuken user would have trouble bypassing. Either Gabon was just incompetent and inexperienced at using his family's coup de gras, or this Hyuuga kid surely is the prodigy of that great clan."_ Shin looks at Neji while he walks to the stairwell leading to the fighters area, and says to himself, _"Hyuuga Neji eh? We will have to make sure that this kid is out of the way, if our plan is to go through smoothly."_

The crowd erupts and begins to chant Neji's name. Standing and cheering at the fight that ended in less then two minutes. Neji makes his way back to the fighters area where he is met by Shino.

"You didn't hurt him too badly did you? " Asked Shino

"Not at all. I simply struck him firmly in the stomach. He may not be very hungry when he wakes up and may have some indigestion, but he will be fine." Replied Neji. "But you have more important things to worry about"

The examiner raises her hand and waits for the crowd to become silent. "Attention: Kui and Aburame Shino to the ring please."

"Good Luck." Neji offers his teammate encouragement as Shino makes his way to the ring.

When both fighters meet in the ring, Shino begins to visually examine his opponent. Kui, a shinobi of the Hidden Mist is a young, short and skinny shinobi. After the first initial glance Shino realizes that this shinobi is shaking heavily. As the two come to the center of the ring and shake hands, Shino notices that the young boy is also sweating gratuitously from him palms. The boy is afraid, and visibly nervous.

As the examiner raises her hand, ready to start the fight, Kui fumbles with his kunai and his trembling becomes very obvious to everyone that is watching.

"_Oh man. Why did I have to get picked for this tournament?" _The panicking boy asked himself. _"I only went to the academy because my parents made me. I only graduated from the academy because my teachers felt sorry for me. Oh man, there are so many people here. Everyone is looking at me. What am I gonna do? What am I gonna do?"_

"Let the Third match of the tournament BEGIN!" The examiner swipes her hand downward and backs away from the two fighters.

Kui is now trembling more then ever. His legs freeze and won't move. Sweat runs down his face as he tries to will himself to move and attack. Shino sigh's to himself and removes his hands from his pockets and raises his arms out in front of himself and slightly to his sides. His bugs begin to leave his body in a dark black swarm. The petrified Mist nin finally finds himself able to move, and in a quick burst he begins to run away from Shino.

Shino looking confused decides that he wants to at least have somewhat of a fight and sends his swarm of bugs in pursuit of the cowardly mist ninja. Kui looks behind him to see the black swarm getting closer and closer. His diverted attention prevents him from noticing the stone in his path, and he trips and falls directly into the water pond at the back of the ring. His kunai flies to the back of and deepest end of the pond, and Shino senses that the match will be over soon.

As the bugs are about to swarm on top of Kui, now prone waist deep in water, The examiner places her hand on Shino's shoulder. The bugs stop dead in their tracks just inches away from the cowering shinobi.

"The match is over." The examiner says as Shino lowers his arms. "The kid is no match for you and is obviously not ready to be a shinobi. Let alone compete at this level."

"Oh thank god!" Kui shouts cowering with his hands shielding his head.

Shino places his hands back in his pockets and begins to walk slowly over to the pond as all of his bugs begin to return to their nest in Shino's body. Kui notices Shino moving towards him and cowers further into the pond.

"Th-the lady said th-that the match was o-over. . ." The boy says

As Shino reaches the pond his hand reaches out Kui. Kui see's only the shadow of Shino's hand and he begins to whimper. Shino places his hand on the boys shoulder.

"Let me help you up." The silent leaf genin says.

The boy looks up, and for the first time since he arrived at the arena, Kui stopped trembling. He takes Shino's hand and Shino helps him to his feet. Shino then makes his way back to the fighters area. Kui on the other hand begins to run past the stairway to the fighters area and directly out of the arena.

"Thanks for the hand bug man, but I am going home!" Kui shouts as he waves to Shino without even looking back.

Kui's actions bring about the first chorus of boos from the crowd. The loudest of the disappointed spectators is the Mizukage on the first balcony. He shakes his head and wonders how that boy even made it past the entry exam.

"The winner of the 3rd match: Aburame Shino." The examiner pauses as she receives a letter from one of the tournament committee members. The examiner reads the letter in detail and silence. With a concerned and confused look on her face she then draws the crowd's attention. "If I could have your attention please. I have just received news that the Mist Villages, Agi, who was set to compete against his teammate Dome in the next match, has come down with an injury and will be unable to compete in the next match. Therefore, the winner of the 4th match by forfeit is Dome"

The crowd begins to boo even louder then before and it becomes evident that they are becoming agitated at the two ruined matches. On the 1st balcony Shin is grinding his teeth in anger at the unwanted attention that Yukina has brought to their team. He looks down to see Yukina smirking in the fighters area as the announcement is made.

"So we will be moving ahead with the next match on the criteria." The examiner then checks the tournament brackets as they are being updated and calls the next two fighters to the ring. "Would Yamu and Tenge please report to the ring."

After receiving some encouragement from both Yukina and Kumo, Yamu makes his way to the ring. Tenge hops right from the fighters area to the ring, making his desire to fight more evident.

Meanwhile on the 1st balcony, Shin watches as the two fighters shake hands and get ready to fight. _"Make this fight entertaining but quick, brother. Or this crowd may become too hostile for us to deal with . . . and don't over do it. If having Sukio fight and hurt another competitor wasn't enough, it would be most unpleasant if you were to show any of your techniques, and get recognized by anyone, especially in front of this idiot Raikage._" Shin thinks to himself as he glares at the proud Raikage. When the Raikage makes eye contact with Shin, Shin simply raises a thumb and smiles.

"BEGIN!" Shouts the examiner, signifying that the commencing of the 5th fight.

The two shinobi hop back from one another and take their respective stances. Tenge displays the standard taijutsu stance, one fist forward in a striking position, and the other in a defensive just beside the right side of his face, ready to strike. To the contrary, Yamu takes a more peculiar stance. He begins to extend his left arm slowly with his thumb and first finger connected and a slight bend in his elbow. The other three fingers take a strategic position, his pinky finger pointed straight at Tenge's right arm. His ring finger bent down and to the left, and his middle finger pointed directly at Tenge's right leg. His left hand then curled in a half clam position and lined alongside his hip.

Shin thinks to himself, _"Idiot. I haven't taught you the finer details to that style. If you use the Open Fist style against Tenge, you will almost certainly give us away to him and Sakamo. Tenge knows Yamu, and knows that he could never lose to him. If you do this be smart about it brother. Or we're finished."_

"_What is that stance? "_ Tenge asks himself. _"Yamu was a genjutsu specialist. So why would he have adopted some strange taijutsu stance. Is he planning to try and match me? Hmpf Yamu, you are a fool if you think you can win this fight with your fists."_

With that though Tenge lunges as Yamu with explosive speed. He pushes off with his right leg and runs at high speed toward an unfazed Yamu. Yamu maintains his stance and awaits Tenge's attack. As Tenge gets in range he turns slightly and shifts his weight to his left side and sends an uprising hook punch with his right hand directly at Yamu's face. With a smile on his face Yamu moves with Tenge's punch, remaining only and inch away from his fist. As Tenge then loses his balance from missing the connection, Yamu follows through with a well-placed kick to the back of Tenge's head. As Tenge hits the ground hard, he quickly rolls and recovers with a shocked look upon his face.

"Well Yamu I guess you learned a new trick or two." Tenge checks the severity of the kick and realizes that is was just a glancing blow. "I don't know how you were able to see through my speed and know where I was attacking from but I assure you that it won't happen again."

Having said that, Tenge launches at Yamu even faster and more determined then before. Yamu remains silent with a look of confidence strewn across his face. As he prepares to make his defense against Tenge's second attack, the look on Shin's face catches his attention. His teeth posed in an angry glare in unison with the fire in his eyes. Shin looks directly into Yamu's eyes and then begins to calm down. He closes his eyes and shakes his head in a subtle manner as to not draw too much attention. Yamu nods in acknowledgment and returns his attention back to his opponent, who is now only a few feet away. Yamu switches to a traditional stance and is hit dead on with a heavy left hook from Tenge, sending him tumbling to the ground.

"So I see." Tenge says as he begins to stalk his fallen opponent. "You just got lucky. Stick to what you're good at Yamu, then this will be an interesting fight, otherwise you are just going to embarrass yourself."

"Well then, now that I have your permission, I guess we can let the match begin." Yamu responds as he rises to one knee and makes a hand seal similar to the one used to produce shadow clones. (This seal consists of the same fingers used for Kage Bunshin, crossed and interlocked making an "X" in front of his chest)

_**Hidden Cloud Style: Rai Bunshin no jutsu! (Lightning Clone)**_

As Yamu executes the technique, three Lightning clones appear and surround him. Their appearance is almost identical to that of Yamu's, the only decipherableattribute is a brief surge of electricity that surges through the clone every second or so.

"Well then,"Yamu says as he rises to his feet, "Lets get this match started."


	3. As The Mystery Unfolds

_(I've done what I can with the translations if anyone has any corrections or has some translations for the techniques I could not translate, please leave them in your review and enjoy!)_

**Chapter 3: As the Mystery Unfolds**

As Yamu and his lightning clones get into a defense position, Tenge smiles in excitement. The three clones create a triangle formation surrounding Yamu. With their kunai at the ready, the cloud nin and his clones look on in anticipation.

"All right then, let us get started!" Tenge exclaims.

Tenge speeds over to the formation and all clones immediately scatter, and Yamu begins to charge. Two of the clones begin to close in on Tenge from his sides, added to Yamu's direct charge, Tenge is on the defending end of a three pronged attack. Tenge increases his speed toward Yamu as to avoid a fight with one of the lightning clones.

As the two fighters continue their battle, Shin looks on with interest. "That's the way you do it Keinea. Use the cloud country's techniques, and the fight will go smoothly."

Tenge's teammate Sakamo looks on diligently from the fighters area. "Rai Bunshin no jutsu. A technique creating a clone out of compacted negatively charged electrons present in the air. Like a regular clone, it will disperse when given a direct hit, this clone however can still make successful attacks. The main difference is that when this clone disperses or attacks it leaves behind a field of compressed electricity equal to twelve thousand volts. Avoid hitting the clone's Tenge, or this match may be over quickly."

Yamu realizes that Tenge has moved closer then he would have anticipated, and Yamu stops dead in his tracks. As he ducks down, the third lightning clone leaps out from behind him and rockets toward Tenge. Tenge counters by leaping high into the air out of the reach of all three clones now all face to face. When Tenge lands, he runs toward the trees to the left side of the ring, and with the clones in pursuit, Tenge snaps off a large tree branch on his way into the wooded area. He grabs the severed branch and begins tearing off any smaller branches and leaves on it. He then hides in the trees hoping from branch to branch in an effort to lose the clones. The clones spread out and search the small area for the trail of their opponent. Tenge reveals his position to the clones and runs back into the open. The first clone charges toward Tenge, who has taken a defensive sword stance with the NOW, club-like branch.

"_What are you doing, idiot?_" Yamu ponders to himself. _Are you going to bat my clones away with your little stick?"_As Yamu laughs at his opponent's new strategy, the merit of Tenge's plan begins to dawn on Yamu. "Awe, crap."

The first clone rushes in fast on Tenge, who counters by laying a heavy strike to the clone's chest. The clone then disperses in a bright flash of lightning. When the bright light dissipates, Tenge remains unharmed, and drops his now burnt club.

The Raikage looks on with a pleased smile on his face. "Making Tenge the odds on favorite from our village to win this tournament was the right move if you ask me Shin. He countered Yamu's lightning clone, by using an item that would disperse the clone and drawing the electrons into it without conducting any of the electricity into himself." The raikage smiles in approval of his detailed analysis of the last few moments of the fight. He then adds, "If he had tried that with a sword or a kunai, he could have been shocked into a coma."

Shin responds, "Yes indeed Raikage-sama, a simply brilliant strategy if you ask me. _Idiot"_

"I see," Yamu announcesas he points to Tenge. "You used that stick to disperse the clones, and because it was made of wood you managed to avoid getting electrocuted. Well then let's see how you deal with twice the amount of voltage, and without your little stick."

The two remaining clones begin to charge at Tenge at highspeed. As they leap into the air with kunai drawn, Tenge drops to the ground on his back and throws two shuriken at the clones who disperse upon impact.

"_Excellent. There is no way that he can dodge the electric wave at that range. This match is mine." _Yamu smiles at the thought of his impending victory.

Before the wave of electricity can hit Tenge, he starts a jutsu with the hand seals, _rat, monkey, ox, snake. _He then separates his hands pulling them apart and creating a barrier made of a whitish blue like substance with the appearance of a fine mist. **_"Static Barrier no jutsu!"_** Tenge shouts as the electricity then disperses along with the barrier, and the sound of thousands of static shocks can be heard echoing throughout the arena. Tenge then rises to his feet, completely unharmed yet again.

"Wh-what?" Yamu screams in disbelief. "How did you do that? Why were you unaffected by that?"

Tenge takes a bow before the cheering crowd and then turns his attention to Yamu. "The lightning clones are created by using chakra to compact trillions of negatively charged electrons into the shape of a clone. When they disperse, the electrons jump to connect with the positively charged electrons. Since the clones are taking up all the negatively charged electrons, the electrons don't have to jump far to find a positive charge, and because there are so many the wave spreads out like an explosion. With my static barrier technique, I gathered all the positively charged electrons in the area and bind them with my chakra into a mist like barrier. When the clones are dispersed, the electrons simply jump and dissipate into the barrier and the two cancels each other out."

"Hmpf, brilliant strategy Tenge." Yamu responds with a disgusted glare on his face, "I wasn't expecting to have you pull a trick like that."

"Yamu, you have put up a great fight so far. But I am afraid that this fight must come to an end." Yamu then starts up a jutsu. _Horse, dragon, monkey, rooster, ram. **"Rai no Yaiba" **_(**_Lightning blade_**).

Electricity begins to gather around Tenge's hand and extends for about two and a half foot in front of his hand, creating a blade of solid electricity bound together by chakra.

Tenge then begins his offensive with a quick launch from his right foot, and begins a high speed sprint at Yamu. His arms jutted back behind him his blade at the ready Tenge lunges with a stab directed at Yamu's stomach. Yamu manages to scout the move and dodges the stab by jumping backward. Tenge follows up with an uppercut with his left hand that connects right under Yamu's jaw knocking him off balance and opening up Tenge's follow up attack. Tenge spins around in a full circle and smacks Yamu in the ribs with a backhand strike with the dull edge of the lightning blade. The shock from the blade sends Yamu flying as he screams in pain. He hits the ground hard and Tenge begins to stalk his opponent, laughing at Yamu's pain in the process. Yamu begins to recover to his hands and knees just as Tenge stands a few feet away from him.

"I bet that hurt didn't it Yamu. Don't worry though my friend, since this is a friendly exhibition match you can just give up now and I won't have to hurt you any more." As Tenge begins to smile at his own smugness, Yamu begins to laugh to himself. However, the voice is not. It is slightly higher pitched, but more menacing. "Y-you're not Yamu . . . who the hell are you? Why are you in this tournament, tell me now!" Tenge grabs the collar of Yamu's jacket and tries to see Yamu's face.

"Mind your own business Tenge. You know that you have never beaten me before, so why would you change your focus off the task at hand?" Yamu says as he looks into Tenge's eyes, his facial features mostly covered by his long brown hair.

"You? How are you? But you're, this makes no sense." Tenge then regains his composure as all of the clues begin to fall into place for him. "Keinea, I should have known it was you from your stance at the beginning of the match, it's just like your brothers. What are you doing here?" As Tenge questions Yamu intensely, Yamu pulls away and runs to the back of the ring, clutching his face to hide his appearance from the crowd. "W-wait get back here dammit" Tenge follows suit and charges after Yamu. Tenge's speed is much higher then Yamu's due to the injury Yamu received earlier. Yamu stops at the edge of the pool at the back of the arena, and he spins around just in time to see Tenge strike him with his blade sending Yamu tumbling into the pool behind him.

Meanwhile, Shin is looking on with disappointment. "Dammit Keinea, You couldn't maintain henge any longer. Now our cover will be broken. This couldn't get any worse."

Tenge looks on as Yamu begins to pull himself out of the pool, his face now back to normal and with two electric burns on his torso. When he gets to his feet, he draws a kunai but struggles to stay on his feet.

Tenge shakes his head and points to Yamu with his lightning blade, "I don't know why you are here Keinea, but whatever you are up to, I won't let you get away with it. Especially if Toshida is here as well."

Tenge lines up Yamu with his blade and strikes it directly into his chest. The crowd looks on in shock as all expression fades from Yamu's face. Tenge smiles as the blade surges electricity into Yamu's body. Then suddenly another Yamu jumps out of the pool. As Tenge looks to the other Yamu in disbelief, the one that resides on the end of his blade grabs Tenge's arm, looks at him in the eyes and smiles. The body then dissolves into a mass of water, sending all the electric currents of Tenge's lightning blade back into his body and electrocuting Tenge until he falls unconscious.

"Hmpf, to think that I would achieve victory with **_Mizu Bunshin no jutsu." _**Yamu says as he moves his wet hair away from his face. "Your blade uses electricity against your opponent, and your chakra contains it and keeps you from being electrocuted. But if you have an excellent conductor like water present, then your coup de gras becomes you undoing"

The crowd erupts in a cheer as the referee runs over to check on Tenge. When the medics arrive to take over and carry Tenge from the ring, the referee runs over to Yamu and raises his hand in the air.

"The winner of the 5th match: Yamu"

Yamu then makes his way back to the fighters area as Shin breathes a sigh of relief. _"That should put Tenge out of commission for a while. If he had won that match, or even remained conscious, he definitely would have reported our attendance to the Raikage."_

As the medical team transfers the almost comatose Tenge to the medical station, the referee moves to the center of the ring and begins to gather the crowd's attention in preparation for the next match. As Ino and the clouds mysterious Kumo make their way to the ring the referee takes a moment to update the crowd on Tenge's condition.

"Ladies and gentleman, I have been informed that Tenge has not regained consciousness yet, however his injuries are not serious." The referee turns to the two competitors now waiting in the center of the ring. "And now, without further delay, let the 6th match, Yamanaka Ino vs. Kumo," The referee raises her arm, ready to swiftly start the match to keep the crowd's momentum up after the previous match.

Kumo begins to talk trash to the young Leaf Genin. "Little one there is no room for a pretty girl like you in this tournament. I honestly do not want to hurt you, so please just forfeit this match."

"Don't worry at all about me. If I were you, I would be more worried about myself. If you get too confident fighting against me," Ino shakes her right index finger at her tall, skinny opponent and mocks him with an over confident smile, "you just might hurt yourself."

The referee swings her hand down and shouts the two fighters, "BEGIN!"

Ino starts the match off and throws a kunai straight for Kumo's face. The cloud shinobi easily parries the kunai with his own and starts to charge against Ino. When the two meet up, Ino does not back down from her strong opponent, and matches Kumo blow for blow with simple taijutsu and kunai attacks. The fight seems at a stalemate as neither competitor can gain the advantage over the other. As the two shinobi each take a leap away from one another, Kumo is the first to kick the fight into the next level and he begins to start the first jutsu of the match. _Horse, Ox, Rooster, Dog, Monkey, Snake, Tiger, Ram._

"_**Fuuton: Renkuuha!" (Wind Element: Airwave Blast)**_

Kumo finishes with the ram seal, and gathers a lot of air and chakra in his stomach and chest and balloons up almost twice his size. As he raises two fingers to his mouth, he exhales and an enormous gust of wind shoots out of his mouth in a thick steady stream. Ino in shock, drastically attempts to avoid the gale force winds. She quickly runs as fast as she can to the walls of the ring, trying to out run the air wave and tire Kumo out. As She reaches the wall of the ring, with one leap she lands on the stadium walls and starts running along the walls. The wind blast remains close behind her, actually cracking the concrete stadium walls under its intense force. Ino continues running and makes the seal of the tiger. It's her turn to try a jutsu.

"**_Bunshin No jutsu"_** Ino screams as she desperately tries to out run Kumo's hurricane style wind. Ino successfully creates nine other clones and all of them spread out to try and divert Kumo's attention from the real Ino. The clones disperse, and run everywhere. Along the walls, into the crowd, and from one end of the ring to the other. Kumo finally runs out of breath and his attack is coming to a halt. He pauses to regain his breath and to gather some more chakra for his next technique.

"_Phew, that was close. If I had been hit by those winds, I would have been finished." _Ino predicts as she and all her clones begin to await Kumo's next move.

"Hmpf. If you think that using only ten clones is going to save you from my technique, you have got another thing coming lady. You are just giving me many large targets to hit, instead of just one small one." Kumo states, as he takes in another deep breath. **_"Renkuuha!"_**

"Hmm. Maybe your right," Ino says as she makes the seal of the tiger yet again. **_"Bunshin no jutsu. _**I guess I will just have to create even more targets for you then."

As ten more clones are created, Ino and her decoys begin to scatter across the ring. Kumo meanwhile takes in another deep breath and exhales an even larger gust of wind then before. This time he aims a little lower to the crowd and sends a storm of sand into the air clouding the vision of the referee and most of the spectators. Kumo watches intently as the clones run throughout the ring, and through the makeshift sand storm. Kumo tries to take out as many clones as possible in, strategic sweeps. He manages to dispel eight of the clones in one sweep, then aims low to kick more sand into the air. As the clones begin to spread out more to take the place of the dispelled copies, Kumo notices a clone running along the wall on his right side. The clone is blocking her eyes with her left arm but is still managing to run the strategic patterns that Ino has been developing on the fly. Kumo immediately stops his air wave blast and throws a kunai at the clone to his right.

"FOUND YOU!" Kumo exclaims, as the kunai slashes against the clones right arm. The clone shouts in pain and stops dead in its tracks. The rest of the clones all disappear, and the sand begins to settle, as the crowd then begins to realize that Kumo has found the real Ino.

Kumo turns to the injured Ino, "You got sloppy leaf genin! I may not have some special doujutsu (eye technique) that allows me to see through genjutsu, or see chakra patterns, but I can spot the work of a sloppy shinobi." Kumo then starts to remember the previous minutes of the battle, to explain to the crowd how he saw through Ino's diversion. "The problem with using regular clones, is that they have no substance both figuratively and literally. They don't act like a shinobi would unless controlled to do so by the user of the technique. However the user never thinks to make the clones do the little things that make a person real. With that much sand in the air all I had to do was watch and see which one of you was blocking their eyes from the sand, then it all became obvious."

"Damn it." Ino curses herself as she realizes the error of her strategy, and the cunning nature of her opponent. Ino hops off of the arena wall, doing a somersault on the way down. She lands roughly fifteen meters from Kumo and flicks her shoulder length blond hair back and reveals a confident smile. "I thought I told you already. With that kind of talk, you'll end up hurting yourself." Ino then readies her hands in the proper position signifying that she is preparing to use **_Shintenshin No Jutsu_**.

The focus turns to the first balcony with the hokage's entourage, where Sakura has been watching diligently, as her old friend prepares to make what she thinks is a big mistake. _"Don't do it Ino! That technique moves too slowly, and from that distance you are almost sure to miss. Even if you do connect with shintenshin, what are you going to do next?"_

Ino watches as her opponent is unwavering in his confident vigil. Ino then smiles and changes the position of her hands to form a picture frame. Kumo looks on with a more anxious and curious disposition, at this sudden change in hand seals. Ino aims her attack for Kumo, who is now readying his kunai in both hands.

"**_Shinranshin no jutsu!" (Mind confusion technique)_**

The sound of a successful use of shintenshin echoes in Ino's head as she knows that her newly debuted technique has hit its mark. Kumo seems confused by the turn of events and begins looking himself over and looking around the ring to see what affects, if any, the technique had against him. Ino then lowers her hands and closes her eyes with a confident smile on her face.

"What is this?" Questions a confused Kumo, "What kind of technique was that, to have no negative effect at all? Hmpf this is why you should have given up when this match started. You obviously have no idea of what you are doing."

"I warned you twice now." Ino says as she raises her index and middle finger to her chin. "YOU'RE going to hurt yourself."

With that said Kumo realizes that he cannot move his arms or legs. Ino is now in control of all of his movements. Ino's fathers technique, "mind confusion" was successful and working its magic. Kumo tries to lower his left hand that is now bending at the elbow and balling up a fist. However his attempts are in vein, as he then begins to violently bunch himself repeatedly in the face for more then ten times. Ino begins to laugh hysterically as the crowd is in stitches at the sight they are witnessing. Laughter can even be heard coming from the first and second balconies as all of the Kage's and their entourage' are finding the sight quite humorous. Kumo then grabs himself by the hair and begins to drag himself to the back of the ring where he runs head first into a tree. Ino then grins maniacally as Kumo begins to head for a pointy rock by the edge of the pool at the back of the arena. Kumo then leaps high into the air and lands on the pointy rock crotch first. A very loud groan can be heard coming from the entire audience.

On the first balcony Sakura holds her hand over her face at her fellow shinobi's childish actions. _"Ok Ino-pig, I think that is going a little too far."_

When the focus turns back to Kumo, who has thrown himself into the pool, when he leaps out of the water with his clothes tattered and torn, Ino uses the mind confusion skill to make Kumo remain in a ridiculous pose. His left leg supports his weight as his right is jutted out behind him perfectly straight. His hands are then placed at the sides of his head with his finger tips directed to the back of his ears, fanning his ears out and making for an extremely ridiculous scene. The crowd erupts in laughter yet again as the referee moves closer to the competitor to check and see if he wishes to give up. As she approaches the prone cloud shinobi, she struggles to maintain a straight face.

"Do you wish to give up?"

Kumo, now beat red in the face grinds his teeth as the embarrassment is almost too much for him to bare. "Yes. I give up."

Ino releases the technique, and Kumo falls to his knees, bleeding from his nose. The referee walks over to Ino as the medical team comes in to check on Kumo. Kumo angrily shoves the medical team aside and then returns to the fighters' area to rejoin his teammates. The referee raises Ino's hand and announces to the crowd;

"The winner of the 6th match: Yamanaka Ino."

The crowd cheers Ino and chants her name, as she has given them all the most entertaining fight of the day. Ino returns to her teammates where Chouji congratulates her diligently. The other two leaf shinobi can faintly be seen smiling at the unorthodox tactics of their teammate. Meanwhile, Kumo returns to Yukina and Yamu furious at his humiliating defeat.

Kumo turns to Yamu with fire in his eyes, "When the mission begins, remind me to kill that girl." As Kumo states his vengeful intentions, he has trouble maintaining his transformation.

"Keep your cool Toragai," Yamu says to his infuriated comrade. "You know that is not part of the mission. Now calm down and focus on maintaining that form for a little while longer. Besides when everything falls into place, you will be too busy to worry about that girl."

"The next and final match of the first round of this tournament will begin in five minutes." The referee shouts as the crowd begins to calm down.

Akimichi Chouji and the Cloud village's Sakamo both make their way to the center of the ring. Chouji seems to be in better shape since his fight with Jiroubou. He appears to have more of a build and less fat then before, and his expression is one of determinated zeal. The thought of all you can eat BBQ pork has lit a fire under the kind hearted shinobi.

"Now, after this match has concluded we will take a two-hour intermission to ready the ring for the quarter finals, and to prepare the fighters for the next round as well." The referee raises her had after both the competitors have shaken hands. "Let the 7th and final match of the first round, BEGIN!"

"_Something is not right about Shin-Sensei's new students." _Sakamo ponders to himself about the recent turn of events. _"They seem more vicious then I remember them being, and a lot stronger. Yukina would never have been able to move that fast, Yamu never had the skill needed to beat Tenge, and Kumo has never been one to use wind element skills._ _Something is not adding up here. Something is wrong and I need to find out what it is._"

Shin looks on from the first balcony as Sakamo is staring up at him rather than at his opponent. _"Don't get any ideas, Sakamo. I don't want to have to deal with you when the fighting starts. If need be, I will kill you before the mission begins."_

When Sakamo returns his attention to the fight that has already begun, he turns only to see an enormous rolling ball of Leaf village shinobi thundering toward him at high speed. The representative of the Akimichi clan spins and rolls at the distracted and absent-minded cloud nin. Before the thundering wall of shinobi collides with Sakamo, Chouji's only words can be heard amidst the spinning ball of humanity.

"BAR-BE-QUE, BAR-BE-QUE!" Chouji screams as his motivation for the match becomes evident to his opponent. _**"NIKUDAN SENSHA!"** _


	4. Identities Revealed

_(Most of these translations for the techniques were done by me so they are probably WRONG. If you know what__the accurate translations are, please leave me a message)_

**Chapter 4: Identities Revealed **

Sakamo directs his attention back to his opponent and away from the enigmatic Shin. Akimichi Chouji is thundering toward the curious Cloud ninja with his clans patented **_Nikudan Sensha_** technique. The over sized leaf genin follows Sakamo around the ring as he uses a series of strategic flips, rolls and cartwheels in order to avoid being crushed by the rolling Chouji. Sakamo finds himself next to the stadium wall and hopes to trap Chouji by making him crash into it. However Sakamo's plan does not work, as the leaf genin stops in his tracks, not willing to fall for the same trick that he did against Dosu. Sakamo realizing that his first idea won't work, begins to scale the stadium wall, getting as much distance between himself and the meat tank. Sakamo is hoping to try and come up with another strategy while Chouji remains on the stadium floor.

"_With his size, and the speed of his rotation, I am guessing that using chakra to climb this wall will not be possible." _Sakamo says to himself as he remains roughly halfway up the stadium wall almost twenty meters above the ring. _"I can't stay up here for long. He will abandon this attack plan after a few minutes. I have to think of some way to attack him. Dammit, I can't think straight." _Sakamo once again diverts his attention away from Chouji and looks to the first balcony, where Shin is still watching him with a dedicated stare. _"Shin is up to something. If that, is Shin. The Raikage may be in danger. I have to do something about this, at least try and talk to Shin. But I can't do anything when I am in this match. That settles it, I will just have to forfeit. There are more important things going on at this tournament, then the tournament itself."_

Sakamo looks to the referee and begins to raise his hand. "REFEREE! I GIVE," before Sakamo can finish his sentence, Chouji's enormous hand strikes down on Sakamo. Sakamo avoids the blow just in time and lands on the stadium floor.

"**_Bubun Baika No Jutsu!" (Partial Multi Size Technique)_** Chouji screams as once again he increases the size of his left arm and swings it in sweeping motion in an attempt to swat Sakamo across the ring. Sakamo jumps high in the air and avoids the arm.

"**_Bubun Baika No Jutsu!"_** Before Sakamo can land safely and recover, Chouji's enormous right arm then hits Sakamo directly with a heavy clenched fist, and Sakamo goes flying to the other side of the ring. Sakamo hits the ground and slides for an additional five meters. Sakamo makes an attempt to get to his feet but is finding out just how serious his injuries are. As he struggles to regain a vertical base Chouji once again tries the meat tank technique.

In the fighters area, the mysterious cloaked fighter looks on at the match at hand. The fighter knows that he will face whoever wins this match in a matter of two short hours. A subtle smile can be seen across the enigmatic shinobi's face just as the lower half of his face becomes even slightly visible.

As Chouji thunders toward a prone, and almost helpless Sakamo, Shin looks on from the 1st balcony. He then directs his attentions to his teammates in the fighter's area. He makes eye contact with the still bruised Kumo, and the rotund Yukina, and with a simple nod of his head Shin gives an order to Kumo. Kumo places his hands in the seal of the tiger and concentrates some of his chakra. He looks at the fighters in the ring and with his left hand leaves his index finger in the same position and moves his right hand to his hip. Meanwhile Yukina leans with her arms on the railing of the fighters area and draws a small senbon needle out from her sleeve. The senbon is no bigger then her thumbnail. With a snap of his fingers, a small rock bulges up in the stadium floor just in Chouji's path. Although from the angle, the referee does not see it, and with Chouji's proximity to it, the crowd does not notice it either. Chouji hits the rock and tumbles out of the meat tank. In less then a second after, Yukina flicks the senbon needle which hits Chouji directly in the stomach. The prick is too small for Chouji to notice, but its effects become evident very quickly. Chouji begins clutching his stomach in pain, and staggers to the ground. The referee runs to Chouji's aid as Sakamo remains confused as to what is transpiring.

"I don't know what it is, I just feel sick to my stomach all of a sudden." Chouji explains to the referee who then checks Chouji's forehead.

"You are burning up kid. I thought maybe it was just nausea and dizziness caused by all of that spinning. But if I didn't know any better I would say you were running a fever. Either way if you cannot stand up, I will have to call this match. You being sick will only increase the chances that you will get hurt."

As Chouji tries to stand up, he finds that the nauseous feeling in his stomach is too strong to be ignored. Chouji falls and vomits on the stadium floor and the referee has no choice but to call the match.

"Akimichi Chouji is no longer able to continue. As a result, the winner by default is Sakamo!" The referee shouts to the crowd in the midst of a thunderous wave of boos and jeers from the crowd.

Sakamo is awestruck at what has just happened. "Unable to continue? _"If this were any other time this decision would be perfect, but this time I didn't want to win. How did this happen?" _As Chouji passes by being carried on the medical stretcher, Sakamo notices the protruding rock in the ground that Chouji tripped over. _"Did he just trip? No, she said he was feeling nauseous." _By the rock Sakamo notices something shining in the sun. As he moves closer he reaches down and picks up the senbon needle that was projected by Yukina. Sakamo then begins to figure everything out and looks up to see Yukina and Kumo smiling sadistically at him. _"I see. Now I am positive that those guys are up to something. But why would they want me to win the match?"_

"Ladies and gentlemen." The referee shouts getting the crowd's attention. "We will now have our two-hour intermission before the starting of the next round. Everyone is welcome to help themselves to the provided refreshments, or take the time to view some of the sights around our village. All remaining fighters must remain in their assigned locker rooms, where they will be subjected to a minor medical examination, and will be prepped on the rest of the tournament. No fighter may leave their assigned locker room until their medical exam is completed."

Everything then becomes evident to Sakamo. _"That's why they wanted me to win. This way I can't go to the Raikage with what I have observed, they want me contained. That's why they let me win!" _Sakamo looks to the 1st balcony where the Kage's and their entourage are all leaving their seats to seek refreshments and deal with their fighters. Shin can be seen looking down at Sakamo with an evil and confident smirk.

"Well Shin if you don't mind I think I will be paying a visit to our fighters before they make their way to the locker room." The Raikage leaves his seat and begins to make his way to the stairwell with his guards closely behind. However, his path is then blocked by Shin.

"Uh, Raikage-sama I must ask that you do not do that." Shin retorts.

"Huh? Why not Shin?"

"My students have all been taught that the Raikage is a person of legendary and almost a deity like status. I am afraid that if you were to go talk to them, they may become extremely nervous and it may affect their performance in the next round. And we want all of our fighters to do their best. Am I correct Raikage-sama?"

"Well Shin I suppose you are right. Well then we will leave your students be, until after the tournament." The Raikage says as he resumes his way down the stair well. As he waves his hand to Shin he says, "However I AM going to enjoy some of the sights that this city has to offer."

As all the fighters then make their way to their assigned individual locker rooms, the leaf villages team meets with the Hokage. Sakura walks over, greets and congratulates Ino on her hilarious victory against Kumo.

"You did great Ino, although I think attacking his crotch was a little uncalled for."

"Hey! I warned him what would happen if he kept talking like that. He didn't listen, so I punished him for it."

Tsunade shakes her head at Ino's overall playfulness until she is interrupted by Neji.

"What is Chouji's condition Hokage-sama?"

"Oh don't worry Neji, it looks like it was just food poisoning. I guess Chouji just ate something that didn't agree with him. It's just odd how it didn't take affect until that exact moment."

"Hokage-sama, I have a question for you." Shino says, speaking up from behind the rest of the group. He points his finger to the left of the group at the cloaked fighter who is met by his Sensei who was watching the fights from the crowd. "Do you know who that shinobi is? I am assuming he is from the leaf village, seeing as he is meant to be the fifth member of this team."

"Yes Shino, I do know who he and his Sensei are." Tsunade replies with a smile on her face. "However until he reveals himself, NONE OF YOU are to try and talk to him. He and his Sensei are under strict orders to remain silent and avoid contact with the rest of you."

"But why Tsunade-sama? Why aren't we allowed to talk to someone from our own village?" Sakura asks.

"Just don't. That is an order. I do not need to explain my reasoning. Just be patient and you will all find out in time who they are." Tsunade replies with a stern retort.

After the gathering of the leaf shinobi, all the fighters then proceed to their locker rooms. The hokage and her entourage return to their balcony seats as they already viewed the sights that the city has to offer when they first arrived. As all the fighters remain isolated in their locker rooms, they individually are met by the medics of the tournament. After each competitor receives a clean bill of health, they all leave to join the members of their village. Hyuuga Neji however remains in his locker room in quiet meditation. Shino takes a stroll the woods on his own, and Ino goes to the 1st balcony to meet with Sakura.

Meanwhile, Sakamo remains anxious in his room wondering why he has not had a medic report to his locker room yet. "Why haven't I been seen yet? I need to get out of here and find the Raikage. He could be in danger for all I know." Before Sakamo can say any more, there is a knock at the door. "It is about damn time. I have been waiting for over an hour to get my checkup." A tall blonde woman opens the door and walks only several steps before falling to the side and to the ground. Sakamo stands in shock at the collapse and his expression turns to one of anger as Yamu stands in the doorway with a smug expression on his face.

"Now what's with that look Sakamo?" Yamu says as he walks further into the room and closes the door behind him. "And actually, it's been an hour and fifteen minutes. Only forty-five more to go before we can let you leave this room. Oh, and I know what you are thinking and don't worry, the nurse is fine. She will just be taking a nap for a while."

"What are you doing here? What are you doing at this tournament? AND WHY ARE YOU KEEPING ME HERE?!"

"Sakamo, Sakamo. Relax will you. One question at a time. We are keeping you in this room because we don't want you going to the Raikage. You seem to know that we are planning something, and it would be most undesirable if you were to screw things up for us. Especially when we have made it this far."

"What are you planning Yamu? What does it all have to do with this tournament.?"

"Well first of all Sakamo, I think it has become evident by now," Yamu says as he then raises two fingers to his mouth. "That I am not Yamu." With a small puff of smoke Yamu dispels his henge technique revealing a young man several inches taller in height. However, instead of a small compressed build and long flowing brown hair, the man before him is an average build with his hair tied back chin length and blond with two stands on each side. He walks over to one of the chairs in Sakamo's locker room and sits comfortably in it, putting his feet up on top of a nearby table and folding his arms in from of his chest.

"Y-you! Akira Keinea. B-but you are supposed to be dead, why and how is it that you're here?"

"Well Sakamo that is another story for another day. Bottom line is, I am here to give you one warning and one warning only. Stay out of our way." Keinea says as he offers a piercing glare into Sakamo's still confused and fear filled eyes. "All you need to know is that our presence here does not concern you, or anyone that would be of your interest. We do not plan on hurting anyone as long as they cooperate. When things start to go down, I trust that you will not offer us any opposition. Would I be right to make that assumption Sakamo?"

Sakamo still trembling at the fact that a ghost from the shinobi's past has seemingly returned from the dead, "Just answer me one thing Keinea." Sakamo says as he gathers his composure and stares into the smug face of this mysterious shinobi. "Your teammates. One of them is your brother isn't it?"

Keinea stands to his feet with a smile even more smug and arrogant then before on his face. As he begins to walk to the door, he turns at the doorway and looks back over one shoulder to Sakamo. "Are you prepared to take the risk that he IS here?" Keinea's words hit Sakamo hard, as Sakamo finally comes to realize just how severe this situation has become. Keinea closes his eyes and turns around to the doorway. "That's what I thought. Do your best in the next match Sakamo. Relax, stay out of the way, and most important, keep your mouth shut. And no one will get hurt"

Keinea puts his disguise back on and exits the room, leaving a terrified Sakamo behind to contemplate just what has happened, and more important, what has yet to happen.

"_I don't understand. Keinea, and Toshida are both here. . . in the wave country. Why? What are they up to? I can't go to the Raikage now. I would be killed before I even got a word out. They're watching me now. I . . . can't handle this." _Sakamo begins pulling his hair, simple beside himself with fear and anxiety at the volatile situation he has found himself in.

His thought process is interrupted by the voice of the referee coming over the loudspeakers. "All fighters report to the arena's main level. The second round is set to begin."

"_Dammit. I can't worry about this now. If the Raikage is in any danger, I will sacrifice my life to protect him." _More doubt however is filling Sakamo's mind. _"But if everyone cooperates, then no one gets hurt. I know that he means what he says and is not a liar. But if one person does not cooperate. Then it's possible that everyone in this arena could be in danger."_

With the two-hour gap over, the remaining fighters report to the center of the ring, all anxious to get back into the spotlight of the roaring crowd. All of the spectators have returned to their seats and are cheering louder then ever. The Kages and their entourage have also returned to their balcony, and the Daimyo is even seen on his feet applauding, in anticipation of the upcoming matches. The referee gets the crowds attention and begins to declare some of the stipulations for the next round.

"During the break I was in discussion with the tournaments ruling body, and it was decided that to add to the excitement of the tournament, just a little bit, the order of the matches will be completely at random from now one. Each bracket will remain the same but the order in which the matches will be fought will now be randomized. This will also allow for different resting periods for the fighters." The crowd applauds in approval at the committee's decision. "Well then, now to get to the first of the four matches of the day. Match number one will be," the referee turns to the booth that the tournament committee is located. They reveal to her the number three, indicating that the third bracket will be the first match fought. "The cloud village's Yamu vs. The Leafs Yamanaka Ino. Both fighters remain, and all others report to the fighters' area."

Yamu and Ino take their place in the ring as the remaining six fighters report to the fighters' area. Ino maintains her confident smile as Yamu seems unimpressed at Ino's stature, and uninterested in avenging his teammate's humiliation.

"Where is the other guy from your team?" Ino mockingly questions the unamused Cloud nin. "I would have thought he would be dying to see you beat me. Or is he back at the hotel with ice on his crotch waiting for you to be hi9s company?"

Yamu smirks at Ino's remarks, "Yea something like that I guess you could say. I am not interested in you at all. However your teammate, the Hyuuga kid, seems like quite the match. SO that being said, lets get this over with. I don't plan on joining Kumo in the locker room just yet." Yamu then ponders to himself. _"That idiot Toragai better be back setting up the devices or we won't be ready when the time comes. We had to pack them in so many different small pieces to make them easily concealed. It will take him an hour to set up."_

The referee raises her right arm, "Wells then, let the 1st match of the quarter finals, BEGIN!" She says, as she swipes her arm downward.

"Well you don't seem like you are gonna be any fun at all." Ino says as she makes the picture frame seal ready to use her mind confusion skill right off the bat, and surely ending the match early. "I guess I am just going to have to end things quickly and save my strength for the finals."

"Hmpf. You really are a one trick dog aren't you?" Yamu says as he shakes his right index finger in disapproval of Ino's action. "**_Shinranshin no jutsu, _**a techniquethat allows the user to use their mind and control the actions of the target. That's how you managed to make Kumo make a fool out of himself. Well I should tell you that having seen the technique, I will not fall for it like he did. You are going to have to try something a little different."

Having said that, Yamu disappears in a brilliant demonstration of speed as Ino searches frantically to try and find him and hit her target with the mind confusion skill Yamu appears behind her and places his kunai just under Ino's chin. Ino drops her hand seal seemingly having admitted defeat. But with a puff of smoke Ino disappears leaving only a number of logs in her place.

"_Hmpf. **Kawarimi no jutsu**_. _She likes to keep it simple that's for sure." _Yamu says to himself wondering where Ino will strike next. With a quick snap of the arm Yamu raises his left arm at the elbow hitting a sneaky Ino directly in the face with a backhand strike. "It seems like you are also predictable."

Ino drops to the ground clutching her nose as a small amount of blood begins to trickle down her face. Yamu then backs up and starts a jutsu of his own, ready to take advantage of the prone Ino. _Dragon, Ram, Horse, Snake, Tiger._

"**_Katon: Hourouheki_** **_no jutsu" (Fire Element: Fire Prison wall)" _**Yamu breathes in a deep breath and shoots a streaming blast of fire from his mouth directed right at Ino. Ino back hand springs several times and gets out of the way of the initial blast. At the last second the fire trails into a circle and traps Ino in a five-meter tall prison of fire.

"I imagine it is very hot in there my dear. Do yourself a favor and just give up now, before you get seriously hurt." Yamu says as he mocks Ino in the precarious position she has found herself in.

Ino tries to figure out some possible way to get out of the fire prison but no strategies are coming to her. As she is seconds away from forfeiting the match, she decides to take a big risk and sets up the picture frame hand seal.

"**_Shinranshin no jutsu!" _**the jutsu launches and completely misses Yamu who quickly ducked out of the way. Ino grimaces as he last chance seems to have slipped away.

"Well Ino it looks like you are out of options." Yamu says as he laughs to himself. " I told you already that the mind confusion skill will not work on me. It is easy to dodge because of how slow it moves. In addition while it passes through the fire, its disruption of the flames makes it almost completely visible as it disturbs the airflow. The technique was destined to fail."

Before Yamu can continue his trash talking, an enormous pillow of steam rises from behind Ino. Yamu stands in shock as he can see Ino walk out from the steam with a serious and dedicated look across her face. He hair is now flowing, as her hair tie has been burned away and she now holds her head protector in her hand.

"You presume too much just like your teammate." Ino says as Yamu backs away from the almost frightening looking Leaf Shinobi. "What makes you think that you were the target of that technique?"

Yamu then turns to see that the referee is no where to be found. As the steam clears the referee appears from behind the now burned area of the ring. She is holding her Jounin's vest in her hands as it is dripping with water.

"I managed to get the referee with my technique and simply guided her to the pool at the back of the arena where she gathered the necessary water, using her vest as a bowl. You were too busy trash talking to notice her behind me, doing what I was making her do."

The referee seems angry and is struggling to regain the use of her own body. With a snap of her fingers the referee comes to her senses and puts her vest back on. "I'm sorry Yamu." The referee says as she looks at Ino with a displeased glare. "I had no choice. I was not in control of my own actions. She made me put the fire out. However you can take comfort in the fact that she will likely be disqualified for her actions."

"I don't think so," says Ino. "The rules are that no competitor can harm the referee intentionally in any way. Seeing as you were not hurt, I don't think I should be disqualified."

The referee looks to the tournament committee. The committee talks amongst one another and gives the referee the thumbs up, signifying that Ino is correct and is not disqualified.

"Well then," says the referee. "I guess the match will continue."

With that being said, Ino races towards Yamu with her kunai drawn, hoping to play on Yamu's confusion at her clever deception. When Ino meets Yamu, he is up prepared for taijutsu and finds himself dodging, ducking and weaving to avoid Ino's kunai attacks. Yamu fumbles to get his kunai at the ready while still avoiding Ino's offensive onslaught. When Yamu finally gets his kunai out and ready to take the offensive he is struck with a hard spin kick from Ino sending him to the ground where he tumbles end of end a few times dropping his kunai in the process. When he regains his composure, he looks up to see Ino with seven additional bunshins charging toward him all weaving in and out between one another. Ino's strategy is to keep Yamu off guard, and force him to rely on his defenses which do not seem to be as potent as his effective offensive techniques. Yamu turns around and begins to run from the clones, heading toward the small wooded area at the side of the ring. He turns around too late however as Ino dispels the clones at the last second and hits Yamu with a thunderous right hook. Yamu flies backward into the shadow of a large tree. He hits his back against the tree hard and screams briefly in pain. A look of intense anger flows over Yamu's face as his Henge begins to flicker rapidly, although not intensely enough that the crowd notices.

In the fighters area Yukina makes an observation, "That was a dumb move girl." She states with a satisfied smile. "Not only did you get Keinea mad, but you put him right in his most patented element."

With that being said Yamu slaps his hands together forming an unknown hand seal. (The seal resembles the seal of the horse only with his palms parallel and his index fingers and thumbs straightened and touching.) Yamu then thrusts his leg downward smashing his heel toward the ground. But the heel actually disappears into the shadow, and with the blink of an eye, Ino trips sideways stopping her from continuing full steam run toward him. Yamu then changes hand seals quickly into the seal of the dog, and swipes his hands in a fanning motion.

"**_Kaze no shuriken!"_** Yamu shouts as seven small spinning orbs of compressed air shoot out from his hands at high speed. The orbs strike Ino (who is still in mid air from having been tripped) hard, all in succession. The sound echoes throughout the arena almost as loud as Ino's tortured screams of pain. To the crowd, it is as if they were hearing miniature sonic booms resonating from the impact of the shuriken against Ino's body. The hits send Ino tumbling and spinning into the air and back several meters before she hits the ground, face down, battered and unconscious. The referee rushes over to Ino's aid as Yamu rises to his feet, tired and out of breath.

"_Dammit girl. I never wanted to have to hurt you, but you just had to keep on pushing didn't you? Now look at you. You're just another victim that got in our way."_

"INO!" Sakura shouts from the first balcony as she races to the arena level to try and help with Ino's treatment.

Meanwhile the cloaked fighter looks at Sakura as she races to Ino's aid. The cloaked fighter does not take his eyes off of the young leaf medic as she reaches Ino's side. The cloaked fighter's Sensei looks at his pupil from the side of the fighter's arena. As the two make eye contact, the Sensei slowly shakes his head and the cloaked fighter lowers his head and retreats to the back of the fighter's arena.

"The winner of the first match of the quarter Finals: Yamu!" The referee shouts as the crowd erupts in ovations. The referee turns to Sakura and the medic team who are carrying Ino out of the ring. "Don't worry young Leaf, your friend is strong and she will be all right." The referee's remarks calm the angry and worried Sakura, who then retreats to the first aid center with her injured friend. "And now for the next match."

On the 1st balcony Shin addresses the Raikage, "Raikage-sama, If you will excuse me, I must meet with one of my students, and give them some advice before they head into their next match."

"Ah, I take it you are worried about Yukina's fight against the Hyuuga kid. Very well Shin, you may go." Shin leaves the 1st balcony as the Raikage looks over to Tsunade on the other side of the Mizukage. "You really lucked out getting those genin picked for this tournament Hokage-dono. All of them have proven to be excellent opponents. But tell me Tsunade, who is this masked fighter?"

Shizune looks to Tsunade in astonishment. _"You mean to tell me that no one else knows who this masked fighter is either?"_

The Mizukage interjects, "Don't worry Raikage-dono, the masked fighter deserves to be here. We would not have this tournament today if it was not for that fighters efforts."

An insulted Raikage is surprised at the Mizukage's statement. "Am I the only one of us that does not know who this man is?!"

Tsunade speaks up from here quiet vigilance, "No one else in my entourage knows who the man is. Only his Sensei and myself are aware of his identity. The mizukage had a part in the invitations so naturally he would know who he is. The invitation was directed to have random genin picked for this tournament. However that masked fighter was given an explicit invitation to be at this tournament. So believe the Mizukage when he says that this boy deserved to be here."

With that being said, a still jittery Sakamo makes his way to the ring while the cloaked fighter runs and dives off the railing of the fighter's arena and lands in the ring, anxious to finally get his turn to fight. As the two fighters meet face to face in the middle of the ring Sakamo can't help but be distracted by the glares coming from the fighter's area from Yukina and the newly identified Akira Keinea still in the Yamu disguise.

"_I have to win this match, if I don't I may not live to warn anyone about Keinea's appearance here." _Sakamo shakes his head and regains his composure as he seems focused and ready to take on this mysterious fighter.

The referee meets both fighters in the middle of the ring and raises her left hand ready to start the match. "2nd match of the Quarter finals. The Masked Fighter vs. Sakamo. Without further adieu, BEGIN!" The referee jumps out of the way and the crowd erupts in a frenzy anxious to see what the mystery man can do.

Sakamo backs off to get some distance between him and the mystery fighter. Sakamo watches diligently waiting for the mystery fighter to make a move. The masked fighter however does nothing. After a minute or so of waiting Sakamo takes the lead and throws a kunai at the masked fighters head. With a quick flash the fighters left arm intercepts the kunai and catches it in between two of his fingers, just inches away from his face. Sakamo then arms himself with another kunai in his left hand and three shuriken in his right hand. He charges the masked fighter with his kunai and lunges in with a stab at the fighters mid section. With little effort the fighter leaps into the air with one foot, and kicks off of Sakamo's left shoulder, knocking him off balance and off of his feet. While in mid air however, Sakamo manages to throw his three shuriken at the back of the still airborne masked fighter. The shuriken hit the fighter in between his shoulder blades and the fighter falls to the ground hard, and remains motionless.

"_You have got to be kidding me. There is no way that it could have been that simple." _Sakamo says with a curious look on his face.

Sakamo approaches the fallen masked fighter with caution. He reaches slowly and yanks the bottom of the fighter's cloak. As the cloak is removed, it reveals only a set of logs and rocks in the fighter's place.

"Hmpf, Kawarimi eh?" Sakamo announces loudly to the crowd as he searches around the ring for the now de-cloaked masked fighter.

As Sakamo searches around the ring frantically, the crowds' attention turns to the top of one of the rings' trees. Standing on top of the tree is the dark silhouette or the young boy under the cloak. He stands with his arms crossed in front of his chest and his hair spiked up. Just as Sakamo looks over to the fighter, the fighter vanishes. Sakamo looks around the ring frantically to find the fast-moving fighter. Just as he turns around yet again the fighter strikes with a devastating flying sidekick to Sakamo's face. The kick sends Sakamo flying into the air, and then to the ground where he skids along the dirt floor of the ring for several meters. Sakamo hops to his feet swiftly to try and keep from falling victim to the masked fighters next attack. Meanwhile, the masked fighter lies in wait amongst the shadows and shrubbery in the forested area. He lays in wait and slowly stalk's Sakamo who now makes his way swiftly into the forested area.

Meanwhile Sakura returns to the 1st balcony and takes her place at Tsunade's side. "What did I miss Tsunade-sama?"

"Nothing much Sakura. You are just in time to see who the masked fighter is."

At that point, the masked fighter dives out from the trees with his body in alignment with the sun making the fighter seem like only a silhouette to the crowd. While in mid air, the fighter bites his thumb drawing blood. He the starts a jutsu as he somersaults in mid air. _Boar, Dog, Rooster, Monkey, Ram._

"**_Kuchiyose No Jutsu!" _**As the fighter lands, he slams his hand to the ground and with a puff of smoke a large toad appears in the ring. Its skin is read and it is wearing armor over most of its body and also carries a large sword on its back. As the crowd looks on top of the toads' head, the crowd notices the no revealed fighter in the broad daylight. The fighter has his head lowered and his arms spread out to his sides and his legs bent at the knees. The fighter is wearing blue shoes and dark black pants. His shirt is black with short sleeves, and he is wearing dark grey armor on his arms made of folded reinforced leather. He wears a small thin black vest around his torso that holds all of his scrolls etc. He wears a shuriken holder in a light brown pouch on the back of his belt on his right side, and his kunai holder on his right leg. The boy wears a leaf village head protector around his head and his belt's bucket has the kanji symbol for Oil on it. The boy's hair is blond and spikey and he is easily identified by his fellow villagers and many of the spectators in the crowd by the whiskers on his face.

A mature, strong and confident fighter stands on top of the fifteen-meter tall toad in the middle of the ring. With his patented, focused and confident smile ripped across his face he fighter looks to the 1st balcony and winks at an awestruck Sakura.

An enormous smile and look of unbridled happiness takes over Sakura's face as she shouts as loud as she can in disbelief and joy. "NARUTO!!!!"


	5. The Return of Uzumaki Naruto

_**Chapter 5: The Return of Uzumaki Naruto **_

The new and improved Uzumaki Naruto stands on top of a large red toad in the center of the tournament ring, ready to engage Sakamo in head on combat. The crowd roars with excitement as many of them know who this fighter is. The crowd chants Naruto's name and anxiously awaits his next move. In the fighters area Neji and Shino are in disbelief at the reappearance of their old comrade. An uncharacteristic smile comes over Neji's face as he seems more then happy to see a man he has fought and bled with.

On the 1st balcony, Haruno Sakura holds her hands tightly against her chest, overjoyed with Naruto's reappearance. "I can't believe it. Naruto is here! I thought he was supposed to be gone for three years?"

Tsunade answers, "Since you and Naruto played a vital part in the construction of the bridge that helped bring prosperity to this country, You were given a special invite to attend this tournament. Naruto on the other hand, was asked to participate, in hopes that he would win the tournament and have this arena named after him. It would work as another symbol of pride for the country and hopefully stimulate even more spending in the country."

"You mean they have been trying to stack the odds in Naruto's favor?"

"In a way of thinking yes. But I talked to Jiraiya, and he says that Naruto does not need any outside edge to win this tournament."

Naruto returns his focus to Sakamo, who stands across the ring in disbelief. Naruto pats the toad on the head and the toad smiles at the acknowledgment from its master.

"So, you are the renowned Uzumaki Naruto eh?" Sakamo stands up confidently and shakes his head in disappointment. "I remember seeing your picture and name on that big bridge on the way into this country. Funny, I always thought you would be taller. And well, more impressive."

With that said, Naruto throws a signature temper tantrum. "Wh-what? I go throw all this trouble to make the most dramatic, and awesome entrance possible, and you are telling me you're still not impressed?" Naruto's eyes begin to bug out of his head and his face turns deep red almost matching the color of his toad summon. As he shakes his head, he begins to regain his composure and focuses on his opponent. "Well I guess I will just have try a little bit harder, and impress you with some of my latest techniques."

Naruto then pats the toad on the head, "Well my friend, let's use a page out of your uncle's list of skills." The toad smiles and nods, and begins to gather up something in its stomach in a large bulge. As the bulge reaches the toad's mouth, Naruto starts up a jutsu. _Rat, tiger, rooster, horse. _He then gathers chakra into his chest and lifts his right hand up to just in front of his mouth in the shape of a "C" with his thumb, index and middle fingers.

"**_Katon: Shukushaku Gamayo Endan" (Fire Element: Reduced Scale Toad Oil Cannon) _**Naruto then breathes a steady stream of fire, and at the same time the toad spits out a large amount of toad oil. The two combine and create an enormous steady inferno of fire that thunders toward Sakamo at high speed. Sakamo leaps up high and back to his former perch on the stadium wall however, the heat is too unbearable even from many meters above the focus point of the blast. The steady stream of fire hits the wall of the arena and slowly starts to actually melt it away. Sakamo then runs along the wall in hopes of diverting the blast from the single spot and possibly getting Naruto to stop, in fear of injuring anyone in the crowd.Naruto and his toad follow Sakamo along the wall, leaving dark black burns along the wall as it hits. Sakamo then leaps off the wall as he reaches the rings' pool, and dives directly into the center. Naruto and the toad stop their fiery assault, and Naruto smiles as Sakamo is proving to be a crafty opponent.

"Well then my friend, I think I will handle this one on my own. Thanks for your help!" Naruto then hops off of the toad that then disappears in a large puff of smoke. "You have to come out of there at some point Sakamo!" Naruto watches diligently as the number of oxygen bubbles rising to the top of the pool begin to slow down steadily. Naruto stands patiently and waits to see where Sakamo will resurface. As the rising bubbles become almost non existent, Naruto readies his hand in front of his mouth, ready to ignite Sakamo as soon as he resurfaces. The bubbles then stop completely, and the crowd, referee and Naruto begin to wonder whether or not Sakamo somehow has drown in the pool.

"_Uh oh. Did he get hurt when he dove into the pool?" _As Naruto begins to ponder why Sakamo has not risen, a vision fills his head, of Sakamo diving into the pond and hitting his head against a rock, falling unconscious and running out of air.

As Naruto begins to fear the worst, the ground beneath him begins to crack and crumble. As Naruto looks down, he sees a foot rising up at him. The foot is Sakamo's and Naruto just barely manages to back flip avoiding the kick and landing on his feet. Sakamo too lands on his feet and immediately charges Naruto with his kunai drawn. Naruto counters by drawing his own kunai and parrying Sakamo's first couple of attacks. The two begin to run along parallel to one another staring at each other directly in the eyes, each with a smile upon their face. As they reach the wall of the ring, they both begin to scale the wall, striking at one another periodically. When they run out of the wall in a vertical direction, the then begin to run in opposite directions. As they both reach opposite sides of the ring, the two then make a dynamic leap from their respective sides, diving toward one another with kunai at the ready. The two connect kunai in the center of the ring. Both of their attacks parry one another, and the two continue on their way. Sakamo however manages to spin around just enough to catch Naruto in the faces with a spinning heel kick. Naruto then tumbles out of control to the other side of the ring flailing wildly and yelling his lungs off. Sakamo lands perfectly on the other side of the ring and begins to charge downward, hoping to catch Naruto unprepared to make a proper defense. Meanwhile Naruto hits the ring wall hard and falls to the ground. Before he hits the ground, he manages to pull off a quick technique.

"**_Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" _**Several shadow clones then appear below Naruto. The clones all link arms and create a perfect safety net for the falling Naruto. Naruto lands in the shadow clone safety net feet first. As he lands, the clones shift the position of their arms and move along with Naruto's momentum and direct him toward the oncoming Sakamo. Naruto gets into a crouched position, and with the combination of Naruto springing off, and the clones working together as a slingshot, Naruto is catapulted at high speed toward the charging Sakamo. Sakamo tries to slow himself down as quickly as possible, panicking over Naruto's unforseen recovery. However, it is too late as Naruto connects with a heavy right hook, sending both of the competitors to the ground tumbling end over end. As Naruto kicks up to his feet, Sakamo struggles to regain his vertical base.

On the 1st balcony Sakura looks on with approval, as Naruto is looking spectacular. "Wow. I never expect Naruto to seem so confident, and his techniques are so crisp. He is still the same Naruto, just much more dedicated and focused."

The cloaked Sensei looks on from just outside the fighters area. He removes his cloak as well revealing an impressed and satisfied Jiraiya. "Good work Naruto. Now finish this match off." Jiraiya then looks around the crowd and a full toothed grin comes over his face. "There are so many women in this stadium and around this city that I am sure would like to help in research for my next book!"

Back in the ring, Sakamo finally gets to his feet. His face is heavily bruised and his nose is bloody. "Well Naruto, I am sorry that I underestimated you. I think it is becoming apparent that I will not be able to defeat you." Sakamo then looks to the fighters area to see Yamu and Yukina both with Kunai drawn. The two are staring a hole through Sakamo, letting Sakamo know that forfeiting this match, is not an option. "I am sorry Naruto, but I am going to have to go all out from now on."

Naruto nods his head in approval and gets ready to continue the fight. "I wouldn't want it any other way."

The two, once again charge at one another, and connect with a series of highspeed taijutsu techniques. It becomes very obvious after a few minutes of the hand to hand exchange, that Naruto is the faster of the two. His punches and kicks are more fluent and crisp then ever before, and his movement is confident and the extent of his training after only a year becomes very evident.

Tsunade seems astounded at the extent of Naruto's progress. "After only a year, that kid has improved this much. Hmpf, well I guess I should know better then to underestimate him."

The hand to hand exchange between Naruto and Sakamo continues, with Sakamo continuously having to backup from Naruto and offer only a strong defensive. Sakamo then leaps back to put some distance between himself and Naruto and finds himself just in front of the ring's pool. After setting up his stance, he starts gathering chakra and slams his hands together and starts a jutsu. _Ox, Monkey, Snake, Boar, Rooster_.

"How about a technique from the most northern region of the thunder country?" Sakamo asks with a smile on his face.

"**_Hiton: Touketsu Gosunkugi!" (Ice Element: Frozen Spike)_** The pool behind Sakamo begins to churn in certain areas and then the lung out toward Naruto in large spikes which freeze almost as soon as they leave the pool. Naruto tries to dodge all of the spikes as much as he can but finds himself just barely dodging them all and getting a number of scratches doing so.

"You are doing well so far Naruto, but let's up the stakes." Sakamo offers as he changes his hand seal to the seal of the ox. **_"Aisu Fukyuu"(Ice spread) _**

As Sakamo shouts the new technique the ice spikes that had shot at Naruto before begin to all spread into multiple new and smaller spikes. The spikes amount in the hundreds and Naruto finds himself at a loss trying to dodge all of the shards that are directed toward him. One of the smaller shards then impales Naruto's left shoulder. Another does the same to his left leg and yet another through his right hand. With Naruto seriously injured and immobile, he then begins to notice all of the ice spikes have intertwined and connected with one another, creating an elaborate cage surrounding Naruto.

"STOP IT NOW SAKAMO! THAT IS ENOUGH!" The referee shouts desperately trying to keep Sakamo from finishing the job and possibly killing Naruto. "IF YOU KEEP THIS UP YOU WILL BE DISQUALIFIED AND ARRESTED!"

"Leave him be referee." A tired and bloody Naruto replies. "I will be ok. I don't want this match ending because he tried too hard."

The referee looks up to the tournament committee members who are standing out of their seats watching the events unfold. The head tournament official signals to the referee to remain patient and listen to what the injured Naruto has said.

"Well Naruto, this is my ultimate technique. You have seen the first two stages, and when all three are completed, you will not survive. No one ever has." Sakamo then switches to the seal of the tiger and readies the final part of his jutsu.

"**_SATSUJINKI!" (Devilish Homicide) _**All of the cages ice spikes begin to explode, sending hundreds of needles like shards in every direction and engulfing Naruto in a hailstorm of ice. The many shards pierce Naruto's body as he screams in agony. Hundreds of pin sized needles are now stuck in Naruto's flesh and as the cage crumbles to the ground Naruto is the only thing that remains standing. He is bleeding profusely with the needles stuck in his flesh all now melting causing his blood run to the ground covering the ring's floor all around him. His right hand, left arm and left leg have been seriously injured with puncture wounds. The crowd remains horrified that Naruto has been injured so badly yet is still standing. Many of the spectators wonder if Naruto is simply dead on his feet. The referee turns away from the bloody competitor hiding any emotion she may have accidently shown.

"I'm sorry Naruto. But I could not lose here. There are greater things at work. And I am afraid that you may just be too strong to simply knock out." Sakamo then lowers his hands and turns his back to Naruto.

As Sakamo turns around he can hear a faint sound coming from behind him. When he turns back around, he can see Naruto making the seal of the ram. Naruto raises his head. Still, bloodied and bruised but still able to maintain his trademark smile.

"I may have changed in a few ways this past year," Naruto says as Sakamo looks on in horror. "But one thing remains the same." As Naruto continues a red chakra begins to swirl around Naruto's feet. "I am not someone that you should underestimate."

The red chakra then begins to consume Naruto's body as the chakra from the nine-tails is clearly under Naruto's complete control. The red chakra swirls around Naruto and leaks out from almost every part of his body. As Neji looks on, he can remember the same thing happening during his own fight with Naruto. However something is different this time, when Neji fought Naruto, the nine-tails chakra was flooding out from Naruto in high amounts, unrestrained and uncontrolled. This time however Neji can see the chakra of the nine-tails coming out in small amounts, yet still wrapping around Naruto. The chakra then becomes focused around Naruto's wounds and all of his injuries instantly begin healing right before Sakamo's eyes. His puncture wounds close, and his cuts begin to seal. All of his blood begins to replenish itself and Naruto returns to his previous fighting prowess.

"Wh-what in the hell are you?" Sakamo stutters to ask

Without giving an answer, Naruto creates his favorite hand seal and five shadow clones then appear. The Naruto's then charge at Sakamo with blinding speed and before Sakamo can react five of the clones have surrounded Sakamo. As Sakamo tries desperately to make sense out of what has happened, the clones make their move and it is too late for Sakamo to make an effective defense.

"**_U-ZU-MA-KI" _**Can be heard as four of the clones all slide toward Sakamo at high speed. At the last second, the clones all direct their efforts upwards using a two-footed kick to send the helpless Sakamo rocketing into the air.

At the same time, the last remaining clone crouches down and readies his hand's one over the other in front of his stomach and as the real Naruto steps onto the clones hands, the two combine their efforts sending the real Naruto even higher into the air. As Sakamo flies helplessly higher into the air the real Naruto blocks out the sun and speeds toward Sakamo. As Sakamo gets his last look at Naruto, he ends up on the receiving end of a thunderous axe kick to the back of Sakamo's head, sending both competitors to the ground. **_"NARUTO RENDAN!" _**Naruto lands safely in a crouching position, and Sakamo hits the ground hard, face down. Naruto then lowers the nine-tails chakra level and begins to replenish his own.

The referee runs to Sakamo's aid with a look of disbelief on her face. She checks Sakamo and finds that he is unconscious. "The winner of the 2nd match of the quarter-finals: Uzumaki Naruto!" The crowd goes crazy once again chanting Naruto's name.

Naruto stands up and waves to his newly found fan base, a smile from ear to ear plastered across his face. "Thank you! Thank you! That's right. Uzumaki Naruto is back in the Wave Country. That was so fun, I can't wait for the next round of this tournament."

Meanwhile Yamu looks on from the fighters area with a stern and focused look on his face. "Neither can I Naruto. Neither can I. You may have done us a favor removed Sakamo from our path, but in the end you will fall beside him."

Naruto gallivants around the ring, basking in the crowds affection. He then returns to the fighters area where Neji and Shino congratulate him.

"You did good Naruto. It is great to see you again, and to see you so strong is a great bonus." Neji says to the still smiling Naruto.

"Thanks Neji. Sorry to cut things short but I want to meet with Sakura-chan if I can." Naruto replies as he looks to the 1st balcony. He nods to Sakura and Sakura does the same and then heads down the stairwell out of the 1st balcony level.

Naruto then makes his way out of the fighter's area and down a few flights of stairs. However, on the way down he notices a dark figure making their way up the stairs. Naruto thinks nothing of it and continues down the stairs. When he and the dark figure pass one another, a strange feeling comes over the two of them and they both stop in their tracks, staring curiously at one another. Naruto and the dark figure, who is then revealed to be Shin, continue eyeing up one another for several more seconds until they both shake it off and continue on their way slowly, periodically peering back at one another.

"_Who was that guy? I had this strange feeling that I knew him from somewhere. But it was different then that, it was almost as if . . . I was afraid of him in someway. And now my stomach is churning, what is going on here? Who was that guy?" _Naruto thinks to himself as he continues down the stairs and out of the arena where he waits patiently for Sakura to arrive.

As Shin reaches the fighters area he cannot help shake the same feelings that Naruto had. _"I have a weird feeling about that boy. But why?_"

Shin approaches' Yukina, who has been determined to fight the next match against Neji. "Listen to me very carefully Maea. This Hyuuga kid is something different. Keep your distance from him and do not try to beat him with taijutsu. His clan uses the byakugan, it's an advanced bloodline in the eyes that allows him to see 360 degrees around him as well as see all of all of your chakra holes. So I say again, don't get to close. This guy can do some serious damage if you let him, and we need you at one hundred percent when the mission starts. We may need to fight our way out of here and if you are going to fight, then I am gonna need you with all of your tenketsu's open. Got it?"

As Shin looks into Yukina's eyes with a serious glare, Yukina trembles in fear but manages to respond, "Y-yes Toshida-sama. I understand. I will have to attack from a distance."

As Yukina makes her way to the ring for her fight with Neji, a small bug is seen flying away from where the meeting with the three cloud shinobi just took place. The bug lands on the finger of a quiet and vigilant Aburame Shino._ "Maea? Toshida? I thought her name was Yukina, and his name was Shin? What mission are they talking about? But more important, why would they need to fight their way out of this arena?" _A concerned look comes over Shino's face as he watches Shin return to the 1st balcony. Shin then suddenly stops, and turns around slowly looking back at Shino who turns away from the threatening cloud jounin.

"_Something is going on here. I should go to the hokage but, what am I going to tell her? The cloud is up to something, but I don't know what? Something is wrong and I have to take some precautions at least." _Shino then looks to the female bug on his finger, and a second bug(a male) joins the female, "Follow that man wherever he goes, and report back every hour or so. And you (directed to the female) will stay with him at all times in case I need to find him." The two bugs then fly off and follow behind Shin.

As Shin returns to the 1st balcony, he takes his place beside the Raikage, ready to watch the next match. He then closes his eyes, smiles and shakes his head slightly. "Hmpf, nice try leaf genin." Shin says under his breath. With a flick of his wrist he then clenches his right hand, and when he opens it the two tracking bugs that Shino sent, fall to the ground crushed in Shin's hand.

The referee then stands between the next two competitors in the ring. "Leaf Villages Hyuuga Neji vs. The Cloud Villages Yukina. Let this third match of the quarter finals BEGIN!" The referee then swipes her hand down signifying the beginning of the match.

Immediately Neji goes on the offensive, striking at Yukina with a series of open hand thrusts and swipes. Yukina does her best to try and doge the attacks, but cannot help but be slightly affect by even the most glancing blow.

"_Dammit, even the hits that don't hit hurt. I did exactly what Toshida told me not to. I have to get away from him. But he is too damn fast." _As Yukina tries to avoid taking a critical, she finds herself constantly backing away from Neji's onslaught. Yukina then tries to reach for her Kunai, but suddenly loses almost all feeling in her left arm. When she looks to the affected arm, she can see Neji's middle and index fingerpressed firmly into her shoulder

"_Dammit! He got one of my tenketsu's. I can't feel anything in my arm. He completely cut off the flow of chakra to my left arm."_

Before Yukina can react anymore, Neji strikes with a devastating rising palm uppercut that sends Yukina into the air, and then down to the ground hard. Yukina then immediately starts crawling backwards away from Neji who stands with a stoic expression waiting for his opponent to get back to her feet. Yukina's look of panic however, begins to change into a confident smile that the spectators have seen once before.

"Well, it looks like I got careless," Yukina says as she rises to one knee. "I have been briefed on your jyuuken technique and I simply made a stupid mistake. However even with the chakra in my left arm cut off, I can still fight you. However, I think it would be best if I were back to one hundred percent."

With that said Yukina raises her left arm with her right, and places it across her left knee. She then uses her right hand and makes the seal of the ox, with her limp hand. When she takes her right hand away, it radiates with a subtle blue chakra. She then places her right hand on the damaged tenketsu point, and within a matter of seconds she rises to her feet with her left arm back intact.

"I see. You're a medical ninja." Neji deducts. "You used your knowledge of your anatomy and your chakra circulatory system to reopen the tenketsu point that I closed."

"Good job Leaf." Yukina replies with a sarcastic tone. "You know my abilities vaguely, but I know yours in detail. If I was to allow you to get a good hit in, I would be finished. If I was to attack you hand to hand, I would run a high risk of getting hit. So I suppose maybe trying to strike you with something else would be the best course of action."

With that said, Yukina reaches behind her and pulls out two black tonfa sticks, each running as long as her forearm with roughly five inches in front of her fists, and a four-inch long handle. The sticks are one inch in diameter, and made of an unknown material.

As Yukina readies her weapons, she first show boats a bit by spinning the sticks around in a hope to slightly intimidate Neji. "Well then." Yukina says as she takes an offensive position. "Lets try this again."

Yukina charges at Neji who has readied himself in the signature stance of the Hyuuga Clan. Yukina uses her tonfa sticks with ease and grace, swiping at Neji with the long side of the stick, and then pivoting the weapon around to at four extra inches in reach onto any punch she attempts to throw at the genius ninja. After a minute or two of Neji parrying Yukina's strikes and attempting to land a critical strike, Neji finds his attempts in vain.

"_Whatever those sticks are made of, they are almost perfect chakra conductors." _Neji uses his byakugan and sees residual amounts of chakra flowing in the tonfa sticks. The sticks become reinforced with chakra and work as perfect shields against Neji's attacks. The sticks deflect the chakra used by Neji's jyuuken techniques making it extremely hard for Neji to focus his attacks in one spot. _"That combined with her exceptional skill with those weapons, is making her a crafty enemy."_

The two fighters move away from one another quickly and begin to assess one another, constantly testing how the other acts and how they attack. "It seems I underestimated your ability, and for that I apologize." Says Neji, surprising the battle hardened Yukina. "You are a medical ninja, are rare thing in itself, but you are also very good in close combat. You channel chakra through those weapons, increasing their blocking radius and deflecting my jyuuken."

"I am glad to see that you are figuring it out." Replies Yukina. "These weapons however make up only an extension of my arsenal."

Yukina then lunges at Neji with the short end of her tonfa stick forward. Neji just barely manages to dodge the attack directed at his stomach. However, Yukina manages to stop her momentum very quickly with her right foot, and pushes of her foot diving backward at the startled leaf genin with the long end of her weapon. The weapon connects with Neji's stomach just barely. Enough to make contact, but not enough to do any serious damage. Suddenly, Neji notices a massive build up of chakra transferring from Yukina into the tonfa stick.

"**_Bodi kanden no jutsu" (Electric body shock technique) _**A large amount of chakra floods into Neji's body sending him back several meters where he then hits the ground hard clutching his stomach and in serious pain.

In the fighters area, Yamu comments on Yukina's move. _"Hmpf she used her favorite technique. The same one she beat Sheena with. Yukina gathers up a large amount of chakra, and uses it in a medical_ _fashion. The chakra is harnessed and adjusted just right, and is then flooded into the opponents body. The chakra works like the electric shock of a defibrillator, injuring whatever organ Yukina chooses to focus on. If she decides to attack the heart, the blow is almost always fatal. Luckily for that Hyuuga kid, Yukina focused only on his stomach muscles and the technique is diluted when focused through her tonfa stick. Otherwise that kid might not be able to digest any food for a week, and if it was the heart . . . well he wouldn't be doing anything period."_

Neji tries to get to his feet, but finds that the pain is almost too unbearableand has trouble even getting to his knees. After a moment of struggling against the pain and nausea caused by Yukina's effective strike, Neji cannot fight it anymore and vomits profusely on the floor of the arena.

"_Wh-what did she do to me? I can barely move without feeling sick, and when I breathe I feel like my stomach is being squeezed. I have to get up. I will not lose here!_" Neji tries to stand yet again, but only finds himself throwing up yet again. Neji then begins to calm down and closes his eyes in an attempt to focus.

"Sorry leaf genin," Yukina says with a smug expression. "I know that technique must have hurt a lot, but look on the bright side, if I had attacked you with my bare hands, or attacked your heart, you would probably be dead!" Neji does not answer and remains on all fours. "What? No confident response? Well then, let us end this right now."

Yukina then charges full speed at the seemingly helpless Neji. As she gets closer and closer, Neji still shows no sign of movement. Yukina continues her charge and then lunges at Neji with the long end of her stick, which is loaded with chakra, aimed at Neji's temple. "THIS IS THE END!" Yukina screams, showing her intent to finish off the prodigy of the leafs most prestigious clan. Just as Yukina comes within meter of Neji with her stick jutted out in front of her, Neji opens his eyes and catches the point of the stick in his palm without even turning toward Yukina. The look on Neji's face shows an uncharacteristically angry Neji. His eyes are wide open and his teeth grinding together. Neji then turns to Yukina as chakra begins to fill Neji's hand, and through the view of the byakugan, it becomes obvious that the chakra Neji is flooding into the stick is far greater then that which is flowing from Yukina.

"**_JYUUKEN!!!"_** Neji shouts, only a second before the tonfa stick explodes in Yukina's hand. The blast sends Yukina reeling, but she manages to still stay on her feet. Neji then pushes off with his right foot and dives toward Yukina with his right arms extended with an open palm. The strike lands heavy against Yukina's stomach sending the jyuuken directly into her pancreas. As Neji remains still in mid air with his palm still imbedded in Yukina's stomach, chakra begins to rotate around Neji at incredible speed. In the blink of an eye Neji becomes almost indecipherable from the whirlwind of chakra.

"**_HAKKESHOU KAITEN!" _**Can be heard from the divine whirlwind as it spins in full force sending Yukina into the air and straight into the arena's walls. Yukina then hits the ground unconscious, likely not even knowing what had just hit her. As the kaiten stops, Neji's spins out of control and hits the ground still in pain from the blow of Yukina's medical jutsu.

The referee checks Yukina, and announces the winner, "Winner of the third match of the Quarter Finals: Hyuuga Neji!" The crowd then cheers in appreciation of Neji's drive to win.

"_I will not lose anymore. I will not be seen as weak. NEVER!" _Neji says to himself just before throwing up and deciding to just lay on the ground waiting for the medical team.

The referee then announces that the next fight will take place immediately. "Would Aburame Shino of The Hidden Leaf, and the Hidden Mist Villages Dome please report to the center of the ring."

As the two meet in the ring, Shino finds himself struggling to focus. _"What are those cloud nin's up to? Something IS going on. I know it. But I have no evidence to prove it. I just have a feeling." _Shino then focuses on his opponent in front of him and begins to release his bugs.

The referee decides to waste no time, and takes advantage of Shino's eagerness. "Let the final match of the quarter finals, BEGIN!"

Meanwhile, Sakura finally makes her way outside to see Naruto waiting for her. She yells out with girlish enthusiasm, "NARUTO!" And runs up, overcome with joy and gives Naruto a choking hug. As air begins to be cut off from Naruto's brain, he can't help but feel either, happy that the girl of his dreams is paying him so much attention, or begin to worry about passing out. Before Naruto can say a word, he goes limp. Sakura picks him up and apologizes for almost choking him to death.

"I am so sorry Naruto, I guess I am just excited to see you."

"Its ok Sakura-chan, I never knew you cared so much."

Before Naruto can react, he finds himself on the receiving end of a patented Sakura right hook. Showing that no matter how much stronger he has become, Sakura can still mop the floor with him. "Idiot. It's just good to see a friendly face that's all."

"OK, OK I'm sorry, I guess I just misunderstood you." Naruto says as he rubs a huge bump on the top of his head.

"You did great out their Naruto. I was thoroughly impressed. To think that you have improved so much in only a year is hard to believe. But then again you have always been a fast learner I suppose."

Naruto's head begins to inflate with the compliments from Sakura as he replies, "Thank you Sakura-chan. It was a lot of hard work, and we are only taking a break from all of my training to answer the invitation we got for this tournament."

"I see." Sakura says lowering her head in disappointment. "So after this tournament . . . "

"Up, I have to leave again and return to my training. But don't worry Sakura-chan there is still some time for us to catch up."

Sakura's expression changes and her smile then returns. "I would like that very much Naruto. Oh, I forgot to ask, what is with the new outfit? Did you just decide that you needed a change?"

"What do you mean by needed a change? You don't like my old outfit?" Naruto says with a look of distrust on his face.

"No, no, no, I just meant maybe you thought you wanted to try something different."

"Well, No this outfit was just temporary. Ero-Sensei (Pervert Sensei) just thought that it would be more dramatic with this outfit."

A large bead of sweat runs down Sakura's forehead as she realizes that Naruto really hasn't changed all that much.

"Oh, Sakura-chan I wanted to ask you something."

"Yes, what is it."

A determined look comes over Naruto's face and all playfulness seems washed away as Naruto's question is a serious one. "Who is the man in the long black jacket?"

Sakura tries to recall the named of the strange man standing next to the Raikage. "I think his name is Shin. He is the Sensei of those cloud shinobi. I don't like those ninjas Naruto. There is something wrong about them. They don't seem to be taking this tournament as a friendly exhibition, and one of them almost seriously hurt Ino. But why do you ask Naruto?"

"I can't be sure, but I think I know him from somewhere."

"Maybe he just has one of those faces"

"No, it wasn't his face, it felt as if his face wasn't his real face at all. It was the feeling I got when he passed me that is really bothering me. It only felt more intense when he looked into my eyes. I think he felt the same thing too. It was almost as if we were familiar with one another but couldn't remember where. I think we were both scared of one another too."

"Naruto I think you are looking too much into it. But if you want, I will keep an eye on him while I am up there."

"Ok, but be careful Sakura-chan. I don't trust the guy."

"All right Naruto, I will." Sakura then turns and begins to walk back up the stairs. "We should meet up again before the finals Naruto. I found of a great Ramen place just down the street."

Naruto's eyes light up at the thought of filling his stomach with his most favorite meal, and he begins to make his way back to the fighters area with his hands behind his head, and a huge smile across his face. _"I really miss seeing Sakura-chan. It is such a relief to know that she is doing well. Before I leave this country, I have to tell her how I feel once and for all. I can't go another two years before I get this off my chest."_

Meanwhile back in the arena, Shino stands with a look of utter confusion, and an expression of subtle embarrassmentin response to the actions of his opponent, the heavy set Dome of the hidden mist village. Dome stands across from Shino wearing a full beekeeper's outfit, with hat and mask all included.

"Well, what are you gonna do now Mr. Bugman?" Dome questions as he laughs confidently. "I saw that you are able to control bugs to do your biding, well now what are you going to do now that I have my thick layer of protection on? Ah ha ha ha ha ha, there is nothing you can do. If I wear this outfit, your bugs can't touch me can they?"

"Well I will make you a deal Shino." Dome says as he raises his right index finger. "If you just give up now, I will forego the embarrassment of me beating you in front of this capacity crowd, while you desperately try to get your little bugs to hurt me. How does that sound?"

Shino then begins to get agitated at his opponents mocking statements, and summons his bugs. The chakra eating insects begin to swarm just outside of Shino's body and begin to slowly make their way over to Dome.

"_Crap. This is not good. I know of his clan's reputation and if those bugs want my chakra this stupid suit isn't gonna do anything to stop them." _The deceitful Dome admits to himself. His face then brandishes a cunning yet sneaky looking smirk. _"Well then, time to go to Plan B."_

As Shino's bugs make their way closer and closer to Dome, Dome pulls out three palm sized spheres from his equipment pouch. "So you aren't gonna just give up eh?" Dome says, as he then begins to juggle the three spheres in his hands. "Well if you won't give up this match, then what if I impress you enough with my juggling ability?"

Dome, while still showing off a rather impressive talent for juggling, begins to get nervous at the fact that Shino is not calling off his bugs. Dome then gives up his ridiculous strategy and throws two of his spheres into the ring's pool. Dome then just begins to look at his last remaining sphere.

"Well I guess that you are pretty set on having a match then huh? That's a shame, cause I really don't wanna have to . . . HIYA!!" Dome shouts, as he throws his last remaining sphere at Shino. The bugs however intercept the sphere and begin levitating it in mid air.

"Your actions are childish and immature." The stoic Leaf genin says, as he reveals a determined and VERY annoyed glare. "It has become obvious that just like the last opponent I faced, you are not ready for this confrontation. Give up, before you get hurt."

Before Dome can respond, and before Shino can launch the first attack, the sphere that the bugs have been levitating begins to leak a thick purple smoke. Shino looks on in shock, as the sphere was actually a smoke bomb that then explodes covering the bugs and Shino in a thick smoke.

Dome says while laughing heartily, "You got too confident too fast leaf. You fell for my deception just as I planned. I had time to prepare for my match against you. I was aware of your unique ability, and I simply adjusted my strategy accordingly."

"_He tricked me." _Shino says to himself.

Shino then tries to send his bugs en mass, toward Dome in an effort to give the bugs their first meal of the tournament. However, Shino notices that something is wrong. The bugs are not responding to his commands. Most of the bugs are flying around aimlessly, and some are returning to their nest in Shino's body.

"Wh-what is going on here?" Shino asks, trying to located Dome through the smoke, which is now becoming only a residual fog.

As Shino looks around the ring, he notices a layer of thick fog rising out of the pool. The fog is a pale white and the bugs seem to be drawn to it as it moves closer to Shino. The two fogs mix creating a layer of mist and fog that is blue in color. The bugs go haywire when the fog passes them and they all begin to leave Shino's body. Shino looks on in disbelief as he tries to stop the bugs from leaving his body and leaving his side.

"My strategy worked perfectly." Dome says, revealing the secret as to what is happening. "Two of those spheres were filled with a chemical pheromone that most insects find irresistible."" When the chemical mixed with water it created a fog that would attract your bugs and make your connection with them very weak. That is why they are leaving your body. That third smoke bomb is filled with a strong scent gathered from some of the Wave countries most potent flowers, which is why you cannot control them, they cannot smell your commands. I suspected that your whole ability to command the bugs was chemical. Distort the chemical signals, and distort your control over them."

"_I don't understand, I can't smell anything, yet those flowers are still confusing my bugs." _Shino then tries desperately to leave the fog, but the fog is quickly spreading around the ring. When Shino finally leaves the smoke cloud he finds that only a small amount of his bugs have followed him. _"This is only a fifth of the bugs. I fell for his strategy completely." _

Dome then comes out of the smoke cloud, charging at high speed with his kunai drawn. Shino then uses what bugs he has and sends them in full force toward Dome. Dome stops in his tracks as fast as he can and pulls out a small orb or red liquid. As the bugs come within only a few meters of Dome, he smashes the vile of liquid on his chest. As the bugs are ready to strike then suddenly all turn and avoid Dome as fast as they can. Most of the bugs then get drawn in by the pheromone cloud and do not return to Shino.

Shino looks on in disbelief as the remaining bugs he had, seem to have betrayed him. "Wh-what is going on here? What was in that vile?"

"I thought you would never ask." Dome responds as he starts a jutsu. _Dog, boar, rat, ram, dragon, tiger, snake, rooster._

"**_Suiton: Suikoudan No Jutsu" (Water Shark Blast technique) _**The water behind Dome erupts in the shape of an enormous shark ready to strike Shino down. "The red chemical was the scent from another flower that is poisonous to most insects. It was a stretch but I thought maybe if your insects caught a whiff of the scent of that flower, then they would avoid it at all costs. Making me virtually immune to your chakra eating bugs." Dome then controls the massive water shark, moving it closer and closer to Shino and higher into the air. "Now give up Leaf Genin, or this technique will finish you off here and now."

Shino swallows a large piece of his pride and begins to come to terms with the fact that without his bugs, he is helpless to defend himself. "All right Dome, you win. I give up."

Dome dispels the water shark blast as the referee raises his hand. "Winner of the final match of the quarter finals: DOME!"

The crowd then erupts in a cheer as Dome celebrates his victory. He is surprised however when Shino shows up behind him and offers his hand in respect. The two nod and shake hands.

"You had my number. Congratulations." Says Shino.

"Don't worry about your bugs. They are fine. You never actually lost control of them." Dome replies.

"What do you mean?"

Dome then snaps his finger and the cloud disappears. The water on the ground from the dispelled water shark disappears and the pool refills all in an instant. "Sorry about that Shino, I just honestly did not think that I could beat you honestly. So I am afraid that I tricked you this whole time."

"You mean all of this was Gen jutsu?"

"Yes I am afraid it was. From the start of the match when you first made eye contact with me I initiated my **_Daikibo Sakkaku (Large-scale hallucination) _**technique. It allows me to create an illusion on a large scale in which I can control every aspect as to what is going on in the illusion. In this case I used the whole arena as my illusion. Not even the crowd knew it was all a fake."

"Incredible. I have never seen a level of Gen jutsu so high." Replies Shino.

"Well it's not that impressive. So far I can only control the technique for ten minutes and it uses roughly all of my chakra." Dome then scratches the back of his head and smiles, "And the realism of the technique isn't that great. I can only affect one of your senses at a time."

"That is why I couldn't smell the scent of the flowers in the smoke bomb." Shino says as he smiles, finally understanding that he was simply tricked into giving up the match.

The two then return to the fighters area, just as the next two-hour break is set to begin. All fighters will once again have to wait in their locker rooms until they receive a medical exam. As soon as the two-hour gap is over, the semifinals will be set to begin.


	6. The Semifinals

**Chapter 6: The Semifinals**

Aburame Shino stands outside of the wave countries massive tournament arena, contemplating some of the recent events that have transpired. Shino's hopes of winning the tournament and having his name embedded in the arena's title are over. He fought well, but lost his match against the Mist villages Dome. However, that is the furthest thing on his mind. One of Shino's bugs, recently overheard a conversation between the mysterious shinobi of the hidden cloud. The conversation he overheard, has brought the identities of the shinobi into question. Talk of a mission, and fighting their way out of the arena, has given Shino a lot to worry about.

"_I can't help but wonder what they are planning. I have to do something. I can't bother the hokage if I do not have any proof. What can I do?" _Suddenly Shino gets an idea. _"That's it. If I remember correctly, "He" is on a mission not far from the country's border. I will contact him and ask him to come here if his mission has been completed." _Shino calls forth one of his bugs to the tip of his index finger. "Find him as fast as you can and bring him to this stadium. Tell him it is an emergency." With that being said, the bug takes off headed toward the fire country at high speed, followed by several dozen other bugs.

"I just hope that he can get back here in time before they make their move."

"Before who makes their move?"

Shino turns around quickly and is shocked to see the cloud village's Shin, standing several meters in the shadows behind him. Before Shino can react, Shin's eyes flash with a bright green light. As the scene changes to forested area behind the stadium, all that can be heard are Shino's screams. When the scene returns to the confrontation, Shino lies unconscious on the ground. His eyes wide open, looking almost catatonic as Shin walks back into the arena.

Back in the fighters locker rooms, all the fighters receive a clean bill of health, as the new nurse makes her rounds. The last nurse having met with a sudden "ailment," appears to have been relieved of her previous obligations. The fighters begin to wonder about the arena awaiting their next matches. The final four has come down to, Hyuuga Neji and Uzumaki Naruto of the Leaf village. Dome of the Mist village and Yamu of the cloud village. The time seems to just tick away quickly as it has now come down to only ten minutes before the starting of the next fight which is scheduled to be Yamu vs. Naruto.

Meanwhile, The shinobi of the cloud village all meets in Yamu's locker room behind the closed sound proofed doors. Shin meets with all three of the team members, and their plan begins to unfold. "We have three more matches to go until we make our move. When the winner is crowned, the celebration will begin almost immediately. That way, we know that everyone will be present and our likelihood of succeeding will increase. As soon as I give the signal, Toragai (formerly in disguise under the name Kumo) who will be making his way into the center of the crowd that will be flooding into the ring, will do his part. Once he has succeeded in beginning his task, Maea (Also known as Yukina) you will then leave the stands, and make your way to your specific targets. Keep it quick, simple and most of all NON FATAL." Shin looks to a startled Yukina with an angry glare.

"I understand Toshida-sama." Yukina says turning her face from the strict Cloud jounin.

"If both stage one and two are completed I will continue with stage three. If I am successful, then it all depends on you, brother." Shin says as he turns to Yamu. "Your part in this mission is crucial. I will have to leave it up to you to decide whether or not the mission is able to be completed if I should fail."

"I will not disappoint you, brother." Yamu says as he punches his fist into his palm.

"If our mission should fail, we will all abort as quickly as possible and take different routes back to our respective base camps. After three days I expect us all to meet up back at the village where we will try to figure out what to do next I suppose."

Outside of the locker room Naruto is running by on his way to meet with Sakura before his match. He is dressed in his trademark orange outfit. _"Maybe I can get a good luck kiss from Sakura-chan before I go into my match. I wore the outfit she likes, who knows maybe it will all pay off." _As Naruto passes the locker room and makes it halfway up the stairs he finds himself overwhelming with a feeling of nausea. He drops to one knee clutching his stomach, as sweat drops down his face and he grinds his teeth together. _"What is this feeling? I feel nauseous almost but, but it's different somehow. Almost like my whole being is quivering." _The symptoms then dissipate as soon as they manifested. "Hmpf, must have been some pre-match jitters. Oh well, nothing to worry about I suppose." Naruto then hurries back, on his way to meet with Sakura.

On the contrary, Shin is in the locker room overwhelmed by a similar feeling only many times more intense. He lies on the ground writhing in pain, and screaming deliriously. His teammates desperately try to get him to calm down but his flailing proves too much to handle, as with one swing of his arm sends Kumo flying across the locker room and into one of the refreshment tables.

"HE'S HERE! IT'S HERE! WHY?! HOW?! WHERE ARE YOU, YOU BASTARD!!" Shin screams at the top of his lungs, seriously testing the sound proof walls. As Kumo regains his composure, he runs back toward Shin and attempts again to restrain the madness stricken Shin.

The rest of the team tries desperately to restrain Shin. "Brother, what is wrong? What are you talking about? Who is here?" Yamu questions in vein as Shin does not answer and continues screaming and grunting in both pain and almost sheer lunacy.

Shin then calms down for only a second as his eyes radiate a bright green light and his teeth become sharp and jagged. He bares his teeth and grimaces in pain as he speaks in a voice that is not Shin's, and almost certainly, not Human. "**Why is he here? Has he followed me? Why is he here? He must be destroyed. I will not let him get in my way boy!**"

Yamu looks on in horror as the strange and maniacal voice seems all too familiar to him. "Dammit, Not now! Maea, Toragai take your positions. You know the drill! Three point seals with a five-point layering sequence."

With that said all three of the cloud shinobi step back and away from Shin. They all roll up the long sleeve on their right arm and make a seal with their exposed arm. The seal is that of a half ram with two fingers extended. The three shinobi then shout in unison, _**"KAI!"** **(Release)**_. As the command is given, black arcane writing and symbols begin to spread out from a mysterious seal that resides just above their elbows on their triceps. (The writing resembles the same writing used by Kakashi to seal up the curse seal on Sasuke.)

The writing all cultivates in the fists of the shinobi and the three ninjas then take their positions. Kumo grapples Shin's left arm and holds it under his left arm. Yamu then does the same to Shin's right arm and Yukina rips open Shins jacket exposing his stomach and chest which remain unseen due to the line of sight.

"Keinea! This isn't good, I don't know if this is going to be strong enough. I have never seen it this bad." Yukina says as she looks in shock at something on Shin's chest.

"We don't have a choice." Replies Keinea, "If we don't do anything then you know what will happen."

The three then manage to connect their hands together individually, and in unison, make the hands seals, _Ox, Tiger, Snake, Boar, Monkey, Ram, Rat, Snake, Hare, Horse, Rooster, Tiger, Dragon, Dog, _finishing the sequence with a clap of their hands.**_ "Fuinjutsu: Hyakuhei Fuin (Sealing Technique: Seal of All Evils)"_**

Kumo then pulls back his right arm with the writing beginning to churn inside his hand, while Yamu and Yukina do the same. With perfect synchronization, all three thrusts their hands into Shin's body, Kumo into his back directly on his spine, Yamu into his ribs on Shin's right side, and Yukina strikes with her left arm clutching her right as she drives it into Shin's chest. Yukina's hand blocks out the mysterious mark on Shin's chest, as all of the writing transfers from the three shinobi into their leader. Shin screams in pain as a bright light shines from his tortured body, demonstrating the intense pain that is surging through him. As the writing then fills Shin's body and covers all of his figure almost like a curse seal, the three Shinobi shout, **_"FUIN!" (Seal)_**, and the writing disappears as Shin falls to the ground breathing heavily with his eyes bloodshot and watery.

Back in the arena, The referee announces to the crowd, "Everyone please take your seats. The first match of the semifinals will begin in five minutes."

Shin remains on his knees on the floor of Yamu's locker room, gasping for air and trying to make sense out of what had just happened. As the referee continues her announcement, Shin looks up to Yamu. He grabs Yamu by the collar of his shirt and pulls him close to him.

"I don't know what that was brother, or why it happened, but "it" has gotten stronger. I could feel it, but it was drawn out, awakened forcefully. The seal didn't have the same effect. "It's" still moving, still thinking, and its still very unhappy." Shin seems more and more agitated as the seconds go by, and his teammates are becoming more weary of him and seemingly almost ready to fight. Although it becomes evident that performing the seal has taken its toll, as all three members of Shin's team seem almost as exhausted as Shin himself.

"Yamu, I am afraid I have to ask something of you."

"Yes Brother, what do you ask of me?"

"These recent developments are certainly unexpected and this mission requires me to play a vital role. If I cannot be trusted to play out my part to the best of my ability, then I put everything at risk. So we need to move the plan up ahead of schedule while the seal still has its most potent effect. Because of this, I must ask you to throw your fight in the semifinals."

"WHAT?! You have got to be joking brother! I will not . . ."

"You will do what I ask of you, brother." Shin says as he finally rises to his feet. All three of his teammates back away quickly from him as he begins to quickly regain his composure. "It cannot be helped. Throw the fight brother. Make it as convincing as possible, but regardless throw the fight. The operation will take place just before the final intermission."

"I. . . Understand brother."

The four cloud shinobi then all return to their respective places, Yukina and Kumo report to seats on opposite sides of the crowd, Shin reports back to the 1st balcony with no one the wiser of his stressed out expression. Yamu then reports to the center of the ring where a confident Naruto is already waiting.

"Nice of you to show up," Naruto says as he crosses his arms in front of his chest. "I was beginning to think you were too scared to show up."

"Give me a break. And miss the opportunity to humiliate you in front of all these people? I don't think so."

The referee then raises her hand into the air and calls the crowd to order. "Ladies and gentlemen this is the 1st match of the semifinals, when the semifinals are concluded their will be one final intermission, and then the finals will proceed with the award ceremony taking place immediately afterwards."

In the crowd Ino, still bandaged from her fight with Yamu, and Chouji still looking a little nauseous, sit side by side watching the competitors. Ino then takes a quick look around the crowd and notices something odd.

"Where is Shino? I would have thought he would be interested in watching this match?"

Chouji replies, "Oh you know how Shino is. He lost his match and is probably just off wandering, thinking to himself what he will do in his next fight, or what he did wrong this time, blah blah blah. He isn't one to just sit down and relax you know."

"Hmm. I guess you're right."

The referee stands poised in the middle of the ring while the competitors begin to take their respective stances. "Then without further delay, let the 1st match of the semifinals, BEGIN!" The referee then swipes her hand downward and the two competitors launch toward each other.

Naruto strikes first with a right-handed punch that grazes Yamu's jaw. Yamu replies as he moves with his downward momentum, placed one hand on the ground and using it to pivot around with a sweep kick that knocks Naruto off his feet. Naruto quickly recovers in time to dodge two shuriken headed straight for him. He replies with his own shuriken which Yamu in turn parries with his kunai. After the first test of ability, the two begin to stare one another down. With confident smiles on one another's face, the two charge yet again and exchange a brilliant display of taijutsu. Kick after kick, punch after punch, counter move after counter move, neither can seem to get the upper hand on the other. The two then exchange blows with their kunai, once again each failing to give the other an opening in which to capitalize on. After several minutes of the exchange, Yamu moves away from Naruto and places his hands one over the other.

"**_Kaze no Shuriken" (Wind Shuriken) _**Full Spread!" Yamu then sweeps his hands in a sweeping motion sending out a flurry of almost two dozen wind shuriken. Naruto runs away from the swirling balls of wind and in a desperate move, dives to the ground as the projectiles speed overhead.

Naruto then stands to his feet and takes his signature pose. **_"Kage Bunshin No Jutsu." _**Five shadow clones then appear around Naruto. As Yamu readies his kunai, the clones charge, attacking one after the other. The first clone is dispersed with a single swipe of Yamu's kunai, the second dives at Yamu with a right hand. Yamu counters by sidestepping the attacking clone and using its momentum to send it into ground without dispersing it. The third receives a spin kick from Yamu to the head and into the fourth clone who was following shortly behind. Yamu follows with several shuriken to the two clones, dispersing them immediately. The final clone attacks in a tandem with the real Naruto. The clone has his legs swept out from under him as the real Naruto finds himself flying directly into the second clone, dispersing it.

"You will have to try something different if you are going to beat me." Yamu says confidently.

Naruto only responds with the creation of twelve more shadow clones, all dispersed as quickly as the last bunch with only five remaining. Before Yamu can react to the last remaining clones, four of the clones perform a stereo baseball slide, connecting with a kick sending Yamu into the air.

"**_U-ZU-MA-KI"_**

As the real Naruto, having used the final clone as a trampoline, comes downward with the final kick to complete the combo. Yamu manages to move his body to the side just enough to avoid the kick landing across the back of his head. The kick lands on Yamu's shoulder sending him turning a full 360 degrees, and right above Naruto, whose momentum as put him in a position parallel to the ground. Yamu grabs Naruto in a full nelson, hoping to send him crashing face first into the ground. Naruto manages to turn enough so that the two land on their side and proceed to roll across the arena floor. Naruto has injured his right shoulder in the exchange and is clutching it firmly as he kicks up to his feet only to in time to see Yamu coming in fast. Yamu leaves the ground and connects with a double footed kick to Naruto's chest, sending him flying backward and into the pool at the back of the ring.

"I TOLD YOU TO TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY!" Yamu screams at the submerged Naruto. "DON'T WASTE MY TIME!"

That being said, gurgled words can be heard from underneath the water that has begun to bubble. **_"Tajyuu Kage Bunshin No Jutsu! (Mass Shadow Replication)"_** Suddenly more then one hundred clones leap out of the pool.

"Well then," says Yamu. "I guess that's different"

The clones all surround Yamu, who frantically tries to figure out what to do with so many targets. As the clones all charge at once Yamu begins to panic. He does not notice the shadow clone that has used two other clones as a springboard. The clone strikes Yamu with a spinning heel kick to the face. **_("U")_** At the same time, another clone has used a leg sweep to send Yamu to the ground. **_("ZU") _**The heel kicking clone then restrains Yamu's arms at the wrists, holding them down against the ground. **_("MA") _**The leg sweeping clone does the same with Yamu's ankles. **_("KI")_** Yamu now has his whole body left prone to the attack of the other clones.

Two clones then take their own positions only a few meters away. One of them crouches to his hands and knees, while the other then crouches on one knee on top of the first clone. **_("NA")_** The real Naruto then uses the two clones as a stepladder **_("RU")_** and leaps off of the seconds clones shoulder, sending him more than 15 meters in the air. **_("TO")_**

"W-WAIT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Screams Yamu, who can only await the next move.

The real Naruto then tucks into a cannonball and does a partial somersault in mid air. As he reaches only a foot or two away from Yamu's prone body, he fans his legs out and crosses his arms over his chest in an X. Naruto lands back first in a perfect somersault senton across Yamu who is left screaming as Naruto hits, and all of the clones disperse, filling the ring briefly with a massive puff of smoke.

"_**TEBAYO RENDAN!"**_

Naruto rolls off of a battered and bruised Yamu, who is left clutching his mid section and grimacing in pain. The referee rushes to Yamu's aid, "Do you give up?" The referee asks before she stops the match.

"Y-yes I give up." Yamu responds as he rolls onto his stomach, still clutching at his ribs.

The referee stands up and calls for the medical team, as Naruto starts to revel in the crowd's ovation. The referee raises Naruto's hand, "Winner of the first match of the semifinals: Uzumaki Naruto!"

The crowd continues their ovation as Naruto returns to the fighters area, trying to get all of the water out from his ears. The medical team carries Yamu to the medical bay on a stretcher as he still seems to be in pain.

Back in the audience stands Yukina makes her way down to meet Yamu in the medical bay. When she arrives, she smiles and shakes her head at the wounded Yamu and addresses the medical staff.

"Its all right, he will be ok, please let us leave."

The medical staff helps Yamu to his feet as the two cloud shinobi leave the medical area. Yukina smiles as she turns to Yamu who is walking under his own power but still holding his mid section.

"Very convincing Keinea, no one will even be the wiser that you let that little punk win."

Yamu responds as he scratches the back of his head with a large smile on his face. "Yea, you thought so too eh? I did such a good acting job, maybe I should become an actor after all this is over heh heh heh." As Yukina smiles and continues to walk back to her seat, Yamu then clutches his ribs again after Yukina's back is turned, and a look of pain and anger comes over his face yet again. _"It's a shame that I wasn't acting. That brat beat me even without me having to throw the fight. I was going to smack him around for a while, and then make some deliberate mistake and twist my ankle or something. Dammit, I wasn't expecting a technique like that. That kid was something else for sure. Uzumaki Naruto eh? When the mission begins, remind me to kill you before I leave."_

Back in the fighters area Naruto is met by Neji, who is making his way down to the ring for his match with Dome, who stands in wait. Naruto has his fingers in his ears trying to clear all of the water and mud out that he acquired after being knocked into the pool. As Neji passes by Naruto he has a few words for his comrade;

"Watch this match carefully Naruto. If I am to be victorious, you and I will meet in the finals. If that is to happen, believe me." Neji turns to Naruto with a smile on his face. "You will not defeat me a second time."

Naruto responds with a smile of his own as he wishes Neji good luck in his match. _"I don't know what he said, but I am sure it was something good to get him to smile like that. Damn water! Stupid mud! I can barely hear a thing."_

The two fighters meet in the ring where the referee calls the crowd to order. "Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of this next match will face Uzumaki Naruto in the final round of the Wave Country Tournament, Hyuuga Neji of the Hidden Leaf Village vs. Dome of the Hidden Mist village. Both fighters to the center of the ring."

Neji approaches the center of the ring with his eyes shut, as Dome seems concentrated on things other than his opponent. As Neji reaches the center point of the ring, he opens his eyes and activates the advanced bloodline of the Hyuuga clan, the byakugan. As he looks around the ring in all directions, he scans the flow of chakra around all sides and notices chakra flowing from Dome into the back of the ring and into the pool.

"_What is he doing? His control is remarkable! To be able to transport his chakra more then twenty meters to the back of the pool is no easy feat. But what is he doing with it?" _As the referee raises her hand, about to begin the match, Neji notices more chakra moving out of Dome's body as he takes an offensive stance. The chakra is subtle for the most part. However, a lot of chakra seems to be gathering at Dome's eyes. _"I see, its genjutsu. He is trying to use the same technique he used on Shino. No wonder Shino could not help but fall for the trickery. This skill is using a tremendous amount of chakra. I have never even heard of a genjutsu of this magnitude. However if he focuses all of his efforts into this technique, he must not be very adept at much else. If that is the case, he may have defeated any other competitor. . ."_

The referee swipes her hand downward as Dome retreats to the back of the ring and along the rim of the pool.

Neji looks on with determination to avoid falling for the genjutsu Dome is planning on attacking with, _". . . Except ME!_"

Neji charges to the back of the ring as Dome starts a jutsu, as Dome starts using several different hand seals, Neji notices with his byakugan that there is no chakra being focused anywhere in Dome' body except for the pool in the back of the ring. _"I see. His genjutsu creates a small territory in which all of his illusions are made manifest. His hand seals are to add to the illusion he is already creating. Whatever he is planning on using with this technique, it is focused in the pool." _As Neji takes another quick look around the ring, he notices that the chakra flow in the area around him is massive, taking up the whole ring and more then 80 of the arena itself. The entire crowd is in the middle of the genjutsu's territory, and with the exception of some high level shinobi using a genjutsu counter technique, the crowd is also under the spell of the illusion. _"It's huge! The crowd is just as much a victim of this technique as I am."_

"**_Suiton: Suishouha!" (Water Element: Water Wave) _**Dome unleashes one of the most powerful water type techniques known to exist in the wave country. The pool swirls in a cyclone like formation and then erupts outward sending a monstrous wave into the air and then toward Neji. Neji halts in his tracks as he can see the massive tidal wave coming toward him, but something does not make sense in what he can see. The wave is coming toward him, but most of Dome's chakra is directed at Neji.

"_But I can see the wave, what is going on here? Wait a second." _Stands his ground and stares down the wave of water.

The crowd screams at Neji to get out of the way, as he closes his eyes and stares down the impeding onslaught. The wave strike's Neji head on as water begins to cover the entire surface of the ring floor. The referee is even seen clutching onto a tree near the edge of the forested area, almost totally submerged in the water.

As the water begins to reseed into the ground and back into the artificial pond, Dome looks on in shock as Neji has not moved from his position. The crowd is speechless, as no one would have been able to stand up to that level of a water technique.

Dome begins to start another jutsu in hopes of affecting Neji the second time around. Neji begins to walk toward Dome as he scans him with his byakugan. Neji notices everything in a shadow-like view, with two images slightly superimposed on top of one another like two movies playing at the same time. The one image that the entire crowd is seeing, is that of Dome making several new hand seals and more water beginning to fill the pool, and the water level in the ring beginning to rise. To Neji, it looks just as real as it does to the crowd. The second image underneath the first image, is the view of the Byakugan. It shows Dome with one single hand seal formed (the seal of the ram) and his chakra flooding out of him and into the surrounding area. Neji has figured out the secret to Dome's genjutsu, the technique that fools the eyes of everyone in the crowd, cannot fool the white eyes of the Hyuuga clan's prodigy.

"**_Suiton: Daibakufu no jutsu!" (Water Element: Water Explosion Technique)_** A second blast of water erupts from behind Dome, sending another huge amount of water toward Neji like a tsunami. The wave tears up the ground and knocks over trees in the process. The referee finds her self on the actual wall of the arena trying to avoid the rising powerful water currents. As the wave hits Neji, completely submerging him in water, he continues to walk toward Dome and through the wall of water.

"H-how are you doing this?! The water should be tearing you apart at this level. Why are you not going down?" Dome yells in frustration, as beads of sweat begin to run down his face. Dome knows that Neji has figured his technique out, but he has chosen to fight until the very end.

"You made three large mistakes in this fight." Neji replies as he gets within ten meters of Dome, "First of all, you tried to use a technique against me that you had already used and explained in a previous match. Secondly, you used the technique against the only person in this arena that would be able to see through it."

Dome tries desperately to make Neji fall for his technique, as he raises the water level high Neji's head, tossing and turning the water on top of the confident leaf genin. Dome closes his eyes concentrating all of his skill and chakra in the faint hope that his technique will take effect on his opponent.

"And your third mistake," Neji says as Dome opens his eyes. He can see Neji only two meters in front of him, crouched with his hands fanned out in front and behind him with his palms laid out flat and turned upwards. "You're in the range of my Hakke."

The divination field forms around Neji and the unsuspecting mist shinobi, signifying that Neji is about to use his finishing technique.

"**_Jyuukenpo: Hakke Rokujuu Yonshou"_** **_(Gentle fist style: Divination Field_** **_Sixty-four Palms) _**Neji begins the 64 hands of hakke technique with the first spin and two strikes to the chest of Dome, instantly canceling his genjutsu and withdrawing the territory on the crowd. "TWO." Neji follows up with two more strikes, closing more of Dome's chakra holes. "FOUR." Neji, having warmed up and started the technique, then kicks it into high gear and unleashes the full force of the divination technique. He strikes eight more of Dome's tenketsu's, sending Dome reeling. "EIGHT" The flurry continues, as Neji strikes the next eight chakra holes. "SIXTEEN"

Up on the first balcony, Shin looks on in disbelief at Neji's speed, accuracy and power that he is demonstrating. _"This kid is incredible, he is so fast and his strikes are so harsh, yet his technique is fluent and clean. His style has almost no weaknesses. Every time I think he has shown the extent of his ability, he comes out with something new and even more impressive. This is not good. We act after this match and this kid cannot be in the way." _Shin looks down to Yukina who already is watching Shin. He points casually with his left hand at Neji in the ring, and then moves his index finger along his throat. Yukina nods in approval as the two focus on the match again.

"THIRTY-TWO" Neji continues down the final stretch of the monstrous 64 hands of hakke combo with the next sixteen strikes. As Dome is sent backward away from his opponent, Neji spins yet again, focusing his chakra into a rotation and starting a downsized kaiten. With the added rotation and power behind Neji, he strikes the final thirty-two tenketsu's with his high powered kaiten/jyuuken combination strikes. Neji finishes the combo with a twisting strike with both hands, sending Dome spinning and tumbling backwards for several meters as Neji himself finds himself in a small crater in the ring.

Neji stands confidently as he looks upon his fallen opponent, who is being attended to by the referee. The look on Neji's face is one of determination. Neji came to the tournament to make a statement to the world and to himself that no one will stand in his way as he tries to eliminate all of his weaknesses.

"Sixty-Four."

Back in the stands, Yukina turns to Kumo at her side, "Get into position. Do you have the device?"

"Of coarse." Replies Kumo as he heads to the stairwell and down toward the ring.

The referee raises Neji's hand as Dome is carried out on a stretcher. "Winner of the second match of the semifinals: Hyuuga Neji!"

The crowd gives Neji a standing ovation, as Neji has his sights set up in the fighters area where Naruto is still struggling to clear the water and mud from inside his ears. Neji points to Naruto whose attention is now focused on Neji. Neji cracks a smile as he then points to himself with his thumb and nods. In the fighters area Naruto reciprocates with a smile of his own. The rematch is set for the final round. Naruto then makes his way down to meet with Neji who will shortly be on his way up.

On the 1st balcony a look of awareness is stricken across Shin's face as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out two earplugs which he then places in his ears. _"It's time."_

Kumo, Yamu, and Yukina are all doing the same at the same time, placing earplugs into their ears and saying together, _"Let the mission begin."_

As the referee readies to inform the crowd of the next break in entertainment she turns to the entry way of the ring to notice Kumo walking slowly toward the center of the ring. The referee is confused by the actions and wonders how the former tournament participant was allowed into the ring. Her look turns from curiosity to surprise as she sees the two guards who were set to guard the entry way, laying lifeless on the ground. The referee reaches for her kunai just as Neji turns around to notice Kumo. Before the referee or Neji can react, Kumo throws off his trench coat to reveal a full body outfit hooked up with a device similar to the sound amplifier that Dosu wore during the chuunin exam, except this amplifier takes up most of Kumo's body instead of just his arm. Kumo slaps his right fist into his left palm as a thunderous echo of the clap resonates from the massive amplifier throughout the arena.

"**_Hibikishibari No Jutsu" (Echo Body Bind Technique)_** As the sound of the amplifier resonates throughout the arena, many of the spectators are confused by the turn of events.

In the 1st balcony the Raikage questions Shin as to his student's actions. "Shin what is your student doing in the ring? This is outrageous, he is making our village look . . . " The Raikage finds that he cannot leave his seat no matter how hard he tries. "Shin what is the meaning of this?"

Shin begins laughing heartily to himself as he is able to walk about freely while all others on the 1st balcony and throughout the arena are paralyzed by the technique of Kumo's. "Its Kumo's special technique, you idiot. By using those amplifiers he creates a sonic wave that paralyzes anyone in its wake." Shin then looks down to the crowd as only two members are moving around, Yamu and Yukina perch themselves on the railings of the crowd area. "Oh and so you know. His name is not Kumo."

In the ring, Kumo's henge dissipates as his true form is shown. He is a tall well built man with a shaved head. Yamu dissipates his henge as well revealing the already introduced Akira Keinea. Yukina makes a drastic change as the short and fat mist shinobi becomes a tall athletic brunette so beautiful that many male members of the crowd forget about the fact that they are being forcefully detained in their seats.

Ino tries desperately to leave her seat but like everyone else cannot move. "Dammit, what is going on here, Chouji can you move? CHOUJI?!"

Chouji is sitting next to Ino with chips falling out of his hand as he remains mesmerized by the new and extremely beautiful Yukina, whom Shin identifies to the Raikage as Sukio Maea.

"Maea has been with my group for a long time, you have never met Masato Toragai who currently keeps your ass restrained to that chair, and I believe you know my brother Akira Keinea." Shin says as he mockingly slaps the Raikage across the face.

"Your brother?! What are you talking about Shin, you have no brother . . . You aren't Shin are you?"

"No, you idiot I am not. Shin died months ago, the same with the rest of his team."

"I know who you are. You are supposed to be dead dammit! And so is your brother!"

Shin reveals his true form as his henge is canceled. The form before him is a man of roughly 16 years old. His hair is long and black and tied back and braided in a thick ponytail, and a head protector around his forehead fades from the village of the hidden cloud, to a previously unseen design of two lines jagged and connecting to one another (almost like two connecting lightning bolts.) The man is handsome but his demeanor is not one of a confident and calm shinobi of his age. The look upon his face is one almost sinister.

"Akira Toshida. . . Wh-what are you doing here? How are you here? It's impossible, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD! What do you want with me you beast?!"

Toshida strikes the Raikage in the face with a hard right hand as his personal bodyguards look on, helpless to stop harm from falling upon their leader.

"TOSHIDA! HURRY UP I CANNOT HOLD THIS TECHNIQUE FOR LONG!" Toragai shouts from the center of the ring, as he strains severely trying to keep the technique from wearing off.

Toshida focuses his attention back to the Raikage. "So selfish and so naive as always. Whoever said that I wanted you?"

Toshida looks to the other side of the balcony where Tsunade looks on helpless to move. Tsunade makes eye contact with the threatening Toshida, knowing that she is the real target of this treachery.

"KEINEA! MOVE OUT, MAEA TAKE HEAD TO YOUR TARGETS!"

Toshida grabs the 5th Hokage by her arm and pulls her out of her seat. She falls to the ground still unable to move under her own power. Toshida wraps Tsunade up with wire around her wrists behind her back and more around her ankles. Toshida then slaps several sealing scrolls around the binding on Tsunade, sealing her ankles and wrists and preventing her from escaping.

"Sorry Hokage, but I am afraid that you are temporarily a prisoner, of the shinobi from the Village ofSin."


	7. The Abduction

_**Chapter 7: The Abduction**_

As Toragai remains in the ring struggling to maintain the binding hold he has on the crowd, Maea and Keinea have made their respective moves. Maea runs down the wall of the arena toward the centre of the ring where Neji and the referee remain motionless, unable to prevent any attack that Maea has planned. As she gets closer to the referee, she pulls out four small senbon needles that drip with a strange opaque liquid. She strikes the referee in the side of the neck with one of the needles, which are no longer than two inches long. The referee's eyes begin to glaze over and the referee falls to the ground unconscious.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF ALL THIS?!" Neji screams, as Maea speeds toward him.

"It's just a mild tranquillizer." Maea says to the confused and struggling Neji, "However, when thrust into a pulmonary artery," Maea thrusts a needle into the side of Neji's neck, "it is enough to knock out a horse for an hour."

Neji tries to maintain consciousness, fighting off the poison invading his body. He manages to remain standing long enough for Maea to become concerned. Not wanting to take any chances, Maea strikes him with another needle. Neji fights with all that he has to remain conscious, but it is all to no avail as the brave Leaf genin falls to the ground hard.

"MAEA!" Shouts Keinea, "DON'T WASTE TIME ON THOSE TWO! BESIDES WITH THAT MUCH YOU COULD KILL THE KID! YOU HAVE TARGETS TO HIT, GET IT DONE!"

With that being said, Maea then runs into the stands striking every disguised ANBU guard in the crowd one by one. She then strikes every shinobi above chuunin level that resides in the crowd. As bodies start to fall all over the arena, Keinea makes his own move keeping guard at the top of the arena walls to make sure no one new is entering the arena. Toragai becomes more and more visually fatigued with the daunting task of maintaining such an impressive hold on the entire crowd. Maea then stops just outside of the fighters area where Jiraiya looks on from the sidelines. His presence was not anticipated or accounted for and he is not one of the targets of the group. However, he too is under the binding technique and is left powerless to help his long time friend Tsunade, or anyone else in the crowd.

"_Dammit Naruto. Where are you? They aren't attacking any genins. They must not be worried about any of them. We are going to need you if we are going to help the Hokage."_

Meanwhile, walking around in the back of the arena unaffected by the binding technique is Naruto. He finds a washroom in the back area of the arena and uses some of the paper towels and water to remove the mud and pool water from his ears. He plugs his nose and blows as hard as he can, sending some water out of both sides of his head and out of his ears.

"FINALLY! I can hear straight again. Man now everything seems kinda loud. Weird. Hmm, why is the arena so quiet? I thought the sound of all the spectators leaving their seats would be a little more noisy. Hmm, I better go meet with Ero-sensei before I start getting ready for the finals. Haha, I can't believe I have a rematch against Neji. Well I know I won't beat him by acting like a groundhog this time. He has gotten too strong to fall for stuff like that. I just hope my training this last year has been enough."

Naruto stops and looks at himself in the mirror and begins to stare in awe at the young man staring back at him. He can barely believe how far he has come since becoming a genin, and even more astounding, is his progress in the year away from the Leaf village.

"Hmpf. It's so weird. To think of all that has happened in this last year, all that I have trained for, all that I have gained. I wonder what Sakura-chan has been doing this last year." The visage of a smiling Sakura appears in Naruto's head. The image is soothing to him as his mind that was once racing a mile a minute, has now slowed to a crawl.

"_It's been too long. I wish I could spend more time with Sakura-chan. Show her how I have changed, but for the better. I wanna go home Ero-sensei. I miss my village. I miss my friends." _

Scenes fly through Naruto's head like a movie on fast forward. Visions of his days at the academy, of all the time spent with Kakashi-sensei, and his ramen dinners with Iruka. He remembers his friends, Shikamaru, Chouji, Konohamaru, thick brows, Kiba and Akamaru, Neji and Hinata.

"_I wonder how they have all been in the last year? Are they ok? Have they learned any new techniques? Are any of them Chuunins yet?! I wanna hear stories, about experiences or pranks. Stories about what they ate for dinner last week, how the new genins are looking and if anyone we know has had any important missions or not. I want to know anything and everything. I just want to see them again . . . all of them."_

A dark image fills Naruto's mind. An image of a dark shadow, black as night turned away from him and the symbol of a red fan facing back at him. The shadow looks over his shoulder, and the glare is that of a three-tomoe sharingan. The shadow turns around and the face is that of Uchiha Sasuke, standing in front of the sinister looking Orochimaru.

Naruto's look turns from one of reminiscing and happiness, to one of disappointment and sadness. _"I will bring you home Sasuke. Whether you like it or not, I made a promise to her, and I will be damned if I let her down a second time."_

Naruto's look becomes one of confidence again. As he clenches his fist, he looks one last time in the mirror and turns around. "Now I have to go see Ero-sensei!" Naruto's stomach then begins to grumble, loud enough to shake the mirrors of the rest room. "But first I need something to eat." Naruto then remembers what Sakura had told him earlier.

_Sakura: "I found a decent ramen place just down the street!"_

"The ramen place!" Naruto the runs out of the rest room at top speed and right out of the arena.

Back in the chaotic arena, Toshida places an additional binding scroll over Tsunade's mouth and Maea arrives at the 2nd balcony, striking the Daimyo's guards and leaving the Daimyo alone and defenceless.

"Maea! Its time, lets move!" Yells Toshida from the balcony below as Maea drops down to his level. "Toragai only has maybe another minute until his technique becomes too strenuous to maintain."

Maea moves along the 1st balcony, tranquillizing the Mizukage and his entire entourage, and then doing the same to the Raikage's guards. She moves along to the leaf post and knocks out Shizune and two ANBU guards. She then stops at Sakura and stares her straight in the eyes as she displays a mocking smile.

"What are you doing with Tsunade-sama? Why are you doing this?" Sakura questions, as she fills with rage and frustration, as she is unable to help her mentor in anyway. "LET HER GO DAMMIT!"

"Hey there little one," Maea says, as she lifts up Sakura's chin, looking the young genin over thoroughly. "You are about my age, and you are also very beautiful. I would hate to have to harm you. So, please, don't get mouthy, or you will be sedated, rather then watch helplessly as your leader is abducted."

Maea's words only fuel Sakura more as she tries desperately to free herself from the binding technique. In the ring Toragai is losing control of the volatile technique, and Sakura finds herself able to move one of her legs. _"It feels like my legs weigh a ton each, but at least I am able to move them." _

Maea looks on in shock as Sakura shows signs that the technique is wearing off, and their time is running out. Maea readies a needle ready to knock Sakura out, when Toshida hollers with another order.

"Forget it Sukio. We have no more time." Maea responds and proceeds to Tsunade, who also receives a poisoned needle on top of all her bindings and seals, and she falls unconscious and limp. Toshida then crouches down to look at the defenceless Raikage who is still unable to leave his seat. Toshida flashes an arrogant smile as he stares at the leader of the cloud village.

"Well Raikage-sama, I am afraid it is time for us to make an exit. Don't worry though, if everything goes according to plan," Toshida's arrogant smile changes to a solemn look, hopeful, yet one that hides a deep sadness. "You will never have to worry about seeing me again."

Toshida then grabs a needle off of Maea and jabs it into the neck of the Raikage who surrenders to its effect almost instantly.

"_Believe it or not or you old fool, this will all work out to your benefit . . . If it succeeds." _Toshida turns away from the Raikage and picks up Tsunade, placing her over his shoulder and turning to his brother who remains perched at the top of the arena. "Keinea how are we looking?"

Keinea turns around with a look of distress on his face. "It looks like we have a squad returning from a mission. I think they were hoping to catch the final round. We gotta go brother!"

"Very well then." Toshida says as he rallies the rest of the team. "Toragai, how are you doing?"

"Not good boss." Toragai then loses control of the technique and the binding jutsu is dispelled. "Shit! We gotta go now. I give it 30 seconds and everyone will have full mobility!"

Toshida turns again to his brother, "KEINEA! An exit please."

Keinea then readies his hands in a seal he debuted earlier in his fight with Ino. The seal is that of a horse seal with connected thumbs. Keinea then disappears from the top of the arena and shows up on the 1st balcony with Toshida and Maea. The two follow Keinea with Tsunade as their prisoner into the dark stairwell, where all four of them disappear again.

As the crowd regains the ability to move, many of the spectators run for all the exits as fast as they can in a panic. The remaining genins in the building do what they can to try and see that everyone manages to get out of the building as fast as possible. On the 1st balcony Sakura does what she can to try and revive the tranquillized jounins and kages to no avail. Above her the water daimyo runs for a switch at the back of the balcony. The switch is covered in glass and is a red level with the words "emergency doors" written on the top of it. The daimyo smashes the glass and pulls the lever down.

In the rest of the arena, huge stone doors begin to come down all over the place, blocking off all of the exits and major corridors and stairwells. Toshida and company, are running through one of the corridors when their path becomes blocked by one of the thick stone doors.

"Well this was unexpected." Says Keinea who is leading the group.

Back on the 2nd balcony, the daimyo begins to survey the crowd, which is still in a panic with many of the shinobi being overwhelming by the amount of people. None of the subdued shinobi has regained consciousness, despite many efforts all around the building.

"_Those doors were put in during the construction to prevent anyone from leaving this arena in the event of a terrorist act. Our country is on the uprise, and we will not give in to threats." _The daimyo says to himself as he looks at the efforts of some of the leaf genin trying to help out the situation.

Chouji tries to hold back a crowd of people trying to make it to the last remaining stairwell by one of the emergency exits. Chouji can see that it is blocked off at the bottom, but the hysterical crowd would end up crushing and killing one another just trying to make it down the stairwell. He tries as hard as he can to hold the crowd back, but many people are starting to trickle through, and force becomes too much to deal with. Chouji slaps his hands together in the proper hand seal just as he reaches the entry way of the stairwell.

"**_BAIKA NO JUTSU!" (Multi Size Technique)_** Chouji then inflates to the size of an elephant blocking off the stair well completely and preventing anyone from passing by.

"Now all of you people better CALM DOWN!" Chouji screams as the crowd begins to focus on the enormous leaf shinobi. "I will do what I can to protect you all but I need you all to cooperate with me. IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?"

The crowd nods in agreement, not willing to anger the portly ninja. Chouji breathes a sigh of relief just as a black swamp appears underneath almost the entire crowd paralysing the majority of them up to the waist with the exception of almost all of the shinobi including those who are incapacitated.

"**_Yomi No Shoutaku" (Underworld Swamp)_** Jiraiya stands at the epicentre of the technique controlling just how much of the arena is covered and who is not incapacitated by the technique.

"Sorry folks, but you are all getting a little out of hand."

Back in one of the arenas corridors, the four sin shinobi try and figure out how to get past the massive stone doors. Toragai tries striking it with his fist but it has no effect. Keinea uses his wind shuriken technique, once again to no avail.

"Here, take her." Toshida hands Tsunade off to Toragai as he makes a hand seal. His pinky and ring fingers are interlocked and his thumbs touch the tips of his ring fingers. His index and middle fingers touch tips straight up. The seal in the end resembles the seal of the tiger. Toshida then places his left hand on the thick stone wall.

"Hmpf. Limestone." Toshida then turns his head as the wall explodes outward as if hit with a high-powered explosive. The arena reverberates with tremors as the blast ripped through more then two feet of solid rock. Toshida and company then run around the corridor and into yet another dead end.

"Who would have known that they would put in such a good security system?" Says Maea, addressing Toshida.

Toshida does not reply as he readies his hand in the same hand seal. He then runs his hand along the right wall, as the team members give a little bit of distance between them and their leader. Toshida is running head on toward the wall, well suddenly chakra seems to rip from the wall and swirl into Toshida's hand as he drags it along, leaving one long drag crater in his wake. He removes his hand from the wall holding what appears to be a green ball of chakra, he then readies his arm back ready for a heavy throw.

Back in the spectators area Jiraiya tires to maintain his hold on the crowd, to keep them from injuring one another. "What was that rumbling sound?" Before Jiraiya can ponder any further, a second and even stronger explosion rips through the building. "What in the world was that?!" Jiraiya turns to the direction of the explosions and can see black smoke rising up from outside the arena.

Still at the ramen stand just down the street from the arena, Naruto looks on in disbelief as smoke starts pillowing out of the arena. "WHAT?! THE HELL WAS THAT?!"

"Sir your ramen is ready." Says the ramen stand's owner.

"YOSHA! RAMEN! RAMEN! RAMEN!" Naruto for a second, forgets about what is happening at the arena. As he is just about to down the entire ramen bowl, he comes to his senses. He shakes his head and then runs toward the arena as fast as he can.

Jiraiya turns to the genins that are helping to regain control of the crowd. "YOU TWO!" The sannin yells, as he gets the attention of Ino and Chouji. "Follow those shinobi! They might still be in the arena. Head to the south end, that's where the explosions came from."

Chouji and Ino respond at the same time "RIGHT!" The two then run to nearest stairwell and make their best efforts to try and open the stone doors to no avail.

Jiraiya looks to the 1st balcony where he can see Sakura. "Sakura! Tell the Water Daimyo to open the doors!" Sakura nods in approval as she climbs quickly to the 2nd balcony where the Daimyo is surprised to see the genin.

Sakura bows before the daimyo and asks, "Daimyo-sama, please open the doors, so that we may pursue the attackers." The daimyo still unsure of what to do decides that it would be wise to listen to the trustworthy looking Sakura. As he pulls the level back up, all of the stone doors begin to open and Ino and Chouji make their way to the location of the explosions. "Arigato Daimyo-sama!"

Sakura then stands back on the railing of the 2nd balcony and backflips back down to the 1st. She then runs as fast as she can down the steps to meet up with Ino and Chouji. After running down a series of corridors and hallways she can see Ino and Chouji staring blankly down another hallway. As she arrives beside them, she passes a large amount of debris that used to be one of the stone walls in place. She then finds what they were staring at, a hole in the side of the very wall of the arena almost two 20 metres' high and wide. The hole is still smoking with heat and a small amount of flames.

"Now, what do you think did that?" A confused Chouji says, pointing to the enormous hole in the wall.

"I don't know. But we have to follow in pursuit. We will not let the Hokage be kidnapped." The genins all agree with Sakura, and the follow the trail left by the Sin Shinobi.

Further into the forested area of the wave country, the four sin shinobi make their way toward the fire country. Toragai looks over to Toshida who is second behind only Keinea in the formation.

"I don't know what that technique was Toshida, but don't you think that was a little excessive?"

Keinea turns and responds to the question while Toshida remains focussed, ignoring Toragai. "That was just a taste of brother's power. You haven't been with this team for very long Toragai, but rest assured, if the technique was used, it was needed. Brother does not show off. You should know that by now. If he shows off than he risks waking it up."

"That's enough Keinea." Toshida responds before Keinea can say anymore. Keinea looks on in confusion at his brothers determined yet very stoic look.

"_Something is bothering him. But what? Is he worried about back at the stadium? Or did using that technique take too much out of him? Maybe the seal is wearing off!" _Numerous thoughts shoot through Keinea's head making him even more agitated.

"Don't worry brother, I will be fine." Toshida says.

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"I know that look of yours brother, you're worried. I am telling you that you shouldn't be. Stay focused and lets get back on schedule."

"R-right brother."

Meanwhile, Naruto finally makes it back to the arena, to find only chaos throughout. He runs toward Jiraiya who is using numerous toads to gather up all of the unconscious shinobi. As he makes his way across the ring floor, he notices a large blue toad carrying Neji on its back.

"NEJI!" Naruto runs to the aid of his friend. He shakes Neji gently and does all that he can to try and wake him, once again to no avail.

"Naruto! He will be ok. He is just heavily sedated," Jiraiya yells from the spectators area.

"Ero-sensei! What happened here?"

"The shinobi from the cloud village did it. They were all in disguise. They knocked out Neji and most of the jounins in the area using trickery and special devices."

"Dammit, I should have pounded the guy I faced even more."

"Naruto! They kidnapped Tsunade!"

"WHAT?!!"

"Sakura, Ino and Chouji are following them through the forest!"

"Which way did they go?!"

"They are heading northeast toward the Fire country. You and I spent a lot of time in that area this past year Naruto. You should be able to catch up with them rather quickly. Now hurry up and move! I will take care over everyone here."

Naruto takes one last look at the unconscious Neji, and then makes his way out of the arena and follows the rest of the rescue party.

Ino, Chouji and Sakura are all following the shinobi from the sin village, hoping through trees and running along the ground. They are roughly two minutes behind the sin shinobi who are becoming aware of their pursuers.

Toshida looks back behind and sees only Toragai and Maea. As he squints a little harder, he gets the feeling that they are being followed.

"We are going to have company."

Keinea looks to his brother in confusion, "What are you talking about, I can't see anyone behind us. We took out all of the risks before we left the arena."

"Don't underestimate the leaf genins Keinea. There are three of them following us."

Toragai interrupts, "Well it doesn't matter, we have their Hokage. They aren't going to try any counter attack while we have a hostage."

Keinea replies, "Quiet! We will not use the Hokage as a shield. She will not be harmed in any way, and we are not cowards. We do not need her as incentive anyway. We can kill them on our own." As Keinea readies his kunai, Toshida stops his brother.

"I told you when we agreed to take on this mission. There will be no killing this day. If we are to conflict against these pursuers, NO ONE will use excessive force. I want no body count today, GOT IT?!"

The other three shinobi nod in approval, and in fear of retaliation. Keinea looks onto his brother with the same concerned look he had a short while ago.

"_Why is he so uptight?_ _I know that something is wrong with him. Why won't he just talk to me?"_

Over an hour passes by as the pursuit is still on. The sin shinobi are thundering toward the border of the wave country at high speed. However, the pursuing Leaf genin are not far behind. Meanwhile Naruto is almost twenty minutes behind the rest of his friends, trying to make up for lost time.

In the pursuit, The sin Shinobi are travelling fast toward the border of wave country with the pursuing leaf genin close behind and closing in fast. Naruto at the back of the pack is closing even faster, due to his superior knowledge of the countryside.

Naruto thinks to himself, _"Oh man, how far ahead of me are they? I should have caught up to at least Chouji by now."_

Meanwhile, Toshida slows down in the middle of the group. Maea notices and questions the leader of the Sin.

"Toshida-sama, what's wrong? Why are you slowing down?"

"I-I don't know what's wrong, I am feeling faint. I think the seal is starting to wear off. And I am not sure, but I think we have another pursuer, but this one has been alongside us "

Keinea looks back to his brother in a panic, "What do you mean? Already? The seal should last for almost another day, there is no way that it is weakening."

Before Toshida can respond, Keinea stops dead in his tracks. He finds himself paralysed and unable to move at all.

Toragai in confusion yells back to Keinea, "What's wrong? Why have you stopped?"

Maea and Toshida look to Keinea's right side, as they can see why he has stopped. They see a mysterious shinobi hiding in the shadows. His ponytail sticking straight up and back with his head lowered. The mysterious shinobi is holding the seal of the rat, directly in front of his green chuunin vest. The shinobi is also wearing a leaf village head protector that is tied around his arm. With the shinobi's shadow connected to Keinea's, the mysterious ninja walks out of the shadows and Keinea walks toward him as well. As the young boy's face leaves the shadows he shows a confident smile on his face as he looks to the Hokages kidnappers.

"Hmpf, **_Kagemane No Jutsu (Shadow Copy) _**was a success." Says a confident and determined Shikamaru.

Toshida grimaces, as an additional guest was not anticipated or desired. "Oh great, another leaf insect has scurried out in the open. So I suppose you are the one that the bug tamer was trying to get in contact with."

Shikamaru is surprised by the dark nins knowledge of the situation. "What have you done with Shino? And why have you kidnapped the Hokage?"

"Your bug friend will be fine. He should be waking up anytime now. But if I were you I wouldn't try to startle him, he may be a little sensitive for a while. Send my apologies to him if there is any permanent damage. As for the Hokage, that is not for you to know. I do not want to have to fight you, but if you do not let go of my little brother, I will have to harm you."

"I am a shinobi of Konoha, and I will not just stand by and let you take our leader. In fact I am amazed that only four of you were able to, get past her security, capture her, and then leave the building. You guys must be far out of my league."

Toragai responds, "You are right about that leaf trash! It is four on one, and just one of us is enough for you."

"Very true," responds Shikamaru, "but one thing that you aren't understanding is, I was just waiting for it to become equal numbers."

With that being said, Sakura, Ino and Chouji arrive at the scene with kunai drawn, and ready to fight.

Toshida sighs in frustration, "Well then, I suppose there is no other option."

Shikamaru then forms the seal of a half ram with two fingers extended. **_"Kage Kubishibari No Jutsu" (Shadow Neck Bind) _**after that is said, a hand forms in the shadows and begins to clutch around Keinea's neck.

"I want you to relinquish the Hokage immediately, or your brother will be killed."

Toragai hands off Tsunade to Toshida and readies himself to attack. Shikamaru tightens the grip around Keinea's throat trying to dissuade the shinobi from attacking.

"I am serious about this. I will kill this man if you do not relinquish the Hokage."

Toshida looks to his brother and as the two make eye contact, Keinea nods to his brother. Toshida nods and turns his back to the rest of the shinobi and continues on the original path the shinobi were taking, leaving his brother and his other teammates behind and moving away at high a very high speed.

"Wh-what? Where are you going? I said I will kill this man, there is no way he can escape, he is trapped in my jutsu." Responds a baffled Shikamaru.

With that being said, the Sin shinobi charge against the four leaf shinobi. Maea engages against Chouji immediately and the two then exchange strikes with their kunai. Meanwhile, Toragai exchanges his own kunai strikes against Sakura.

"I'll follow them!" Ino says as she follows in pursuit of Toshida, leaving each shinobi paired off against another.

As Toshida makes his way further from the combat, he notices that Tsunade has started to stir. _"She is waking up already? She must be stronger then our reconnaissance originally stated." _

Toshida stops and places the Hokage up against a large rock. He moves to a nearby stream and gathers some water in a pouch from his equipment. He throws the water on the Hokage's face. Tsunade then begins to wake up and opens her eyes looking at her kidnapper for the first time in almost an hour.

"Wake up Hokage-sama." As Tsunade regains full consciousness, she looks around her vicinity and then notices her bindings. "I am quite surprised with you Hokage-sama. Just how strong are you exactly? ." Toshida kneels over and removes the binding strip from the Hokage's mouth.

"Who are you, and why have you abducted me?" Questions Tsunade.

Before Toshida can respond, Ino arrives at their location. "Let her go immediately or I will make you pay for it."

Toshida rises to his feet and moves away from the Hokage. "I know you think you are being brave here little one, but trust me, I do not wish to fight you, and I certainly don't wish to harm you. So turn around and head back the other way."

Ino raises he hands in the hand seal for her patented Shintenshin no jutsu technique. "This is your last chance, either you let her go immediately, or I will make you let her go."

"_Shintenshin no jutsu, a technique unique to her clan in which, she projects her own spiritual energy into her opponent. The user and the victim become linked with the user being in full control of all of the victim's actions. She is planning on entering my mind and making me release the . . . she is planning on enter my mind? OH NO!" _Toshida starts to wave his hands frantically trying to convince Ino to discontinue her plan of action. "GIRL, I WOULDN'T DO THAT IF I WERE YOU!"

"Well you aren't me!" Ino screams **_"Shintenshin no jutsu!" (Mind body switch) _**Ino's spiritual energy travels from her to Toshida, dropping Ino's body to her knees and causing Toshida to go limp.

As Tsunade looks on curious as to whether or not the technique worked, her curious look turns to one of confusion as Toshida begins shaking. With a blank and almost lifeless expression on his face, Toshida's eyes begin to roll into the back of his head and his hands begin to sweat. His hands then form together with both hands straight and his fingers placed in between one another. He then moves slowly and aims at Ino's body.

"**_KAI!" (Release) _**Ino's spirit returns to her body where she immediately begins screaming in a blood curdling tone, so loud that even Tsunade finds herself trying to somehow cover her ears. Ino screams in an inhuman way as she clutches her head, with her eyes bulging out of her head with a look of intense fear across her face. Several seconds later, Ino cannot stand the mental anguish anymore and she collapses to the ground, her eyes still open and in an almost vegetative state.

"INO!!" Tsunade screams, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER YOU BASTARD?!"

Toshida, still weary from the technique shakes his head and looks over to Ino's limp figure. _"Dammit girl, I warned you didn't I. I didn't want this to happen."_

"ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME? WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?!" Tsunade continues to demand.

Toshida turns to the Hokage, "I warned her. She entered my head, and she saw things she was not ready to see. And unfortunately, she is paying for it. Believe me when I say I am sorry."

"Remember when you asked just how strong I was." Tsunade says, as Toshida looks on with a confused look on his face. Tsunade then struggles very little and breaks both the bindings on her hands and the ones around her ankles. Toshida backs away from the now free Hokage, with an astonished look on his face. "Well to answer your question, about that strong."

"_Amazing, she broke through the binding and through the seals. Simply remarkable, those restraints could have held back an entire team of shinobi."_

Tsunade then stares Toshida in the eyes as she still stands roughly ten metres away, her Hokage's cape and trademark green jacket still blowing in the wind. "Now I will ask you again, why have you kidnapped me."

Tsunade looks on in confusion as Toshida lowers to his knees and bows before the Hokage. "Because Hokage-sama," he says as he raises his head just enough to look up at Tsunade, and make eye contact with her. "I beg of you." Toshida then rises up until he is just kneeling and at the Hokage's mercy, if she wants to harm him, now is the perfect time.

Toshida looks the Hokage right in the eyes and says, "Please Tsunade-sama . . . Help Me."


	8. The Nature of The Beast

_**Chapter 8: The Nature of The Beast**_

Tsunade looks onto her would be captor, still kneeling before the Hokage. "Please help me," the mysterious Akira Toshida said only minutes early. Tsunade still stands ready to strike down the shinobi, but there is something about his disposition, something about the way he looks in the Hokage's eyes, that draws Tsunade to listen to him.

"What do you mean, help you?"

Toshida raises his head and looks the Hokage in the eyes. "It is a long story I am afraid. I will tell you all of it in detail, but I must make sure that your team does not catch up with me, for they are strong in will and would be most . . . unpleasant to have to deal with right now."

Tsunade begins to lose patience with the dark ninja, "Why should I trust you? You have kidnapped me, killed who knows how many people back at the stadium, and you have seriously injured one of my shinobi!" Tsunade screams, pointing at the catatonic Ino, who lay lifeless on the ground.

Toshida grimaces in remorse as he answers the Hokage's questions, "I assure you I never meant for anything to happen to Ino. She attacked me and I assure you, it was not I who retaliated."

"What do you mean it wasn't you?"

"Like I said, it is all a very long story. But, please, if I am to tell you everything we must leave this area before your team catches up with us."

"You still have not earned my trust yet, you still killed many people back at the arena!"

"The needles that my associate used were filled with an organic tranquillizer. All of the participants should be waking up anytime now, just like you have awoken." Tsunade still looks to the shinobi with scepticism, but her glare shows a tremendous sigh of relief to know that no one at the arena has been serious harmed.

"All right. I will give you five minutes to explain yourself." Says a stern Tsunade, holding up five fingers in front of her.

"Very well. A compromise. I tell you a brief synopsis of my actions, and we remain here." Toshida then thinks to himself, _"It is working out now brother. Not quite as planned, but she is listening. Don't hurt any of her underlings." _Toshida then turns to Tsunade, as he rises to his feet. "It all started roughly eighteen years ago."

Back at the battle scene between the sin shinobi, and the leaf genins, Shikamaru maintains his hold on Keinea, as the others pair off with one another. Maea continues to spar with the rotund Chouji, and Sakura fights with the stocky built Toragai. Maea and Chouji exchange a flurry of kunai strikes and mild taijutsu, while Sakura and Toragai do the same. Neither of the pairings is producing a clear winner, as both fights are at a stalemate.

Shikamaru turns to Keinea, who is still trapped in Shikamaru's shadow neck bind technique. "Well I am not sure what your brother thinks he is doing, but I assure you that there is no escape once you are trapped in my jutsu. It isn't a very redeeming quality to have a brother that would abandon his sibling to the enemy for the sake of the mission."

Keinea smiles and laughs quietly while still in the stranglehold of the neck bind. "He was not abandoning me by any means. He was leaving the situation to me."

"What?"

"My brother knew that it was not I who was trapped in _your _jutsu," Keinea then remarkably, fights off the effects of the shadow bind, and raises his hands in the seal of a horse with connected thumbs.

Shikamaru looks on in disbelief as the effects of his technique are being negated so easily. "What the?""

"But it was you, who was trapped in MY jutsu." Keinea then closes his eyes as he starts his signature technique.

"**_Ninpo: Kage Sonsaku!" (Ninja Art: Shadow Walking) _**Keinea then begins to sink into the very shadow that binds him. As he disappears from sight, Shikamaru tries desperately to trap him again and the shadow hands swing in vain to get a hold on the shinobi. Keinea's laugh can be heard all around Shikamaru, as Keinea fades completely from sight.

"_What is going on here? How can he just disappear into nothingness? Why can I still hear him? Think Shikamaru think!"_

"What seems to be the problem leaf?" Keinea voice echoes around the forest, as Shikamaru tries to locate where the voice is coming from. "You were so confident that your technique could not be bypassed, and now you stand there impotent. With no strategy, and no idea of what to do and how to continue, it's all quite amusing if you ask me"

Shikamaru readies his kunai, as he searches from left to right all around him. Trying to locate just where the voice is coming from. As Shikamaru turns to his left it seems almost as if something just passed him quickly, hidden in the shadows of the trees. _"That's it. He is hiding in the shadows_." Shikamaru then throws several shuriken in a full spread at numerous points throughout the shadows. As one of the shuriken heads toward a tree to Shikamaru's far right, he notices that the shuriken did not hit and stick into the tree. But it actually disappeared into the shadow in which it was thrown at. _"He isn't only hiding amongst the shadows . . . He is actually INSIDE the shadows. But how? How can this technique work?" _Before Shikamaru can try and assess the situation any further, Keinea interrupts.

"I see that you are slowly putting the pieces' together leaf. But I am afraid that you could not figure it out fast enough!"

Shikamaru looks below him to see his shadow come alive with movement. The shadow becomes darker then the one that was there before and Keinea leaps directly out of the shadow and strikes Shikamaru with a heavy left hand, knocking him off the tree branch that he once stood on and straight to the forest floor where Chouji notices the attack.

"SHIKAMARU!" Before Chouji can rush to his friends aid, Maea focuses on Chouji's lapse in concentration and comes rushing at him from above holding the seal of the dog.

"YOU DO NOT HAVE TIME TO TURN YOUR ATTENTION AWAY FROM ME!" She screams as Chouji regains his composure just a second too late.

Maea lands on Chouji's bent knee so silently and gracefully that Chouji barely even notices the weight of the shinobi on top of him. She stares Chouji directly in the eyes, only inches from his face, her hand seal still maintained. She leaps over Chouji with one leg, rotating sideways in midair. While her whole figure is spinning behind Chouji, her jutsu then comes into effect.

"**_Ninpo:Uragiri no Ishiki (Betrayal of the senses)!" _**Maea finishes her spin with an open palmed strike to the back of Chouji's head. The strike surprises Chouji, who is sent tumbling forward as Maea lands softly on both feet.

"CHOUJI!" Cries Sakura, who is still fighting with Toragai. As Toragai comes in for a decisive open palm strike, Sakura dodges leaping high into a nearby tree. The strike crushes the rock that once stood behind Sakura.

Toragai taunts his opponent, "Are you afraid little girl? Come on down here and fight! Or maybe Maea and I should just team up against your fat friend."

Sakura looks to see if the spoken taboo, has any effect on Chouji. _"That should get Chouji angry enough to fight with all he's got." _

Chouji however, does not. He slowly tries to regain his vertical base, but he seems dazed and very confused. He tries getting to his feet, but finds himself falling over every time he tries to move.

Sakura looks on in concern as Chouji struggles to stand up. _"What did she do to him? She is a medical ninja I take it? Well then, maybe it is time that we switched opponents." _Sakura pulls out an enormous branch from the tree she is perched on as she drops at high speed toward a surprised Toragai. Toragai dodges the initial strike, as the branch buries itself in the ground where Toragai once stood. However, Toragai does not dodge the following strike as Sakura reacts in the blink of an eye, pulling the branch out of the ground and striking Toragai across the chest with the large log. The strike sends Toragai hurdling backward and into another tree.

Meanwhile, Maea stalks the helpless Chouji. "Poor leaf genin, I know that you must be very confused and frightened right now. I will make sure that your suffering does not last much longer." Maea then moves her hands along one another, fusing them with chakra along each side, and turning her already deadly hands, into scalpels of pure chakra. "Well then leaf genin, its time to die!" Mea then rushes toward a defenceless Chouji who can only look blankly as his attacker hurdles toward him. As Maea swipes down Chouji's certain death blow, Sakura's hand deflects and parries Maea's strike. Maea regains her composure and stares down at her more worthy adversary.

Sakura looks back to Maea with the same look that is being sent to her. "Your opponent from this point on will be me!" Sakura moves her hands along one another, fusing them with chakra along each side just as Maea had done. A battle between two medical ninjas is set to begin. "I don't know what you did to Chouji, but I will make sure that you pay for it!"

Maea then lunges at Sakura, and the battle between the medics begins. The two exchange swiping blows both being deflected by one another's chakra infused hands. The two swipe at one another relentlessly, neither giving the other and inch in which to gain an advantage, Maea then heads to the trees with Sakura in pursuit, the two run directly up a large tree, their arms thrown backward as they gather up momentum, the two then leap off at the very top of the tree heading spiralling down into the forest. Maea lands on a tree branch and runs further away from Sakura. Unbeknownst to Maea, Sakura has landed on the same branch but is running upside down directly below Maea. As Maea stops to locate her pursuer, Sakura reaches to her feet and grabs onto the branch with chakra. Then using her momentum, she swings on the branch and surprises Maea, striking her hard with a double footed kick, to the left shoulder sending Maea falling to the forest floor. Maea tries grabbing onto a branch with her left arm but finds she is unable to lift it. Maea lands stomach first on another branch and tumbles off, landing on another branch back first.

"Wh-why can't I move my arm?" Maea asks out loud.

Sakura lands in front of her and offers an explanation, as her feet glow with the same precisely controlled chakra that exists in her razor like hands. "I was able to tear up the muscles in your shoulder with a kick, just as easily as if I was striking you with my hand. Now I know that you can heal that injury, so hurry up and let's continue."

Maea grinds her teeth in anger as she begins to heal her damaged arm. _"What brilliant control. She was able to control a complex medical technique through her feet. Her chakra control is flawless. Hmpf, she is beautiful, young and very talented. I think Keinea would love this girl."_

Meanwhile, Shikamaru has been receiving a severe pounding from the shadow jumping Keinea. Every time Shikamaru figures out which shadow Keinea is hiding in, Keinea lunges out of the shadow with an attack that knocks Shikamaru off balance.

"_Dammit, this guy's level of jutsu is incredible." _Shikamaru ponders to himself._ "He does not seem to be able to control the shadows, but any shadow can become an escape route for him. He enters the shadow some how, travels throughout it and then moves to another one. There has to be a weakness to it._"

Before Shikamaru can locate his position, Keinea lunges out from a shadow directly behind Shikamaru and strikes him with a kunai slash across Shikamaru's back on his left side. Shikamaru reels in pain as he clutches the wound.

"C'mon man! I thought you would put up a better fight, you being a chuunin and all." Keinea's voice can be heard once again from all around Shikamaru. "Well then my friend, I say it is about time that we end this."

Shikamaru looks down to the still dazed and confused Chouji who is being looked up with a predator intent from a stalking Toragai. "CHOUJI! WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?!"

Chouji however does not reply. For him he does not hear Shikamaru's words. Instead he hears, "IJUOHC!! TAHW SI EHT RETTAM HTIW UOY!" Maea's technique has scrambled all of Chouji's sensory impulses.

Toragai looks on and begins to mock the stumbling Chouji. "Hah. Looks like you got hit with another one of Maea's signature techniques. That jutsu just scrambled every sense that you got. I can't even imagine how things are in your head right now, and how the heck you are supposed to function properly. Your eyes are seeing up as down, left as right. Your ears are hearing everything backwards. Your taste buds will taste sweet, when it's really sour, feeling soft and smooth when it's actually hard and coarse." Toragai then kneels down in front of Chouji who looks at Toragai with confused crossed eyes. "You know what the only other thing that can do that to a human body is? Poison. You know what your bodies natural reaction is to poison?"

With that said Chouji leans over and vomits. His body thinking it has been poisoned, Chouji's condition only gets worse as he tries to adapt to the change in perception.

"Yea that's what happens!" Toragai says laughing to himself.

However, just above Toragai is Maea and Sakura, who have been listening intently to the conversation taking place. "TORAGAI YOU IDIOT! YOU TALK TOO MUCH AND TOO LOUD YOU IGNORANT FOOL!" Maea screams as Sakura looks on with a pleased smile.

"That's all I needed to know." Sakura says as she then leaps off the branch making the seal of the tiger. She lands just behind Chouji, surprising the clumsy Toragai. Sakura then places her hand on the back of Chouji's head. **_"KAI!" (Release) _**Sakura yells, and instantly Chouji shakes off the withering effects of the sensory technique.

Sakura then leaps back up to the branch above, where she is attacked instantly by a furious Maea. Chouji then places his hands together in his families' trademark hand seal.

"**_BAIKA NO JUTSU!" _**Chouji then swells up and brings in both his arms, both his legs and his head and begins a fast and furious rotation. The thundering pile of humanity then hurdles toward Toragai at high speed screaming, **_"NIKODAN SENSHA!" _**

Toragai tries to run away from the rolling Chouji but finds that it is of no use. He gets run over by the rotund Chouji and lays stuck in a loose layer of dirt. As he raises his head slowly, his face covered in bugs and worms. "That hurt, you fat bastard!"

Chouji's rotation stops instantly and he returns to normal size. His ears prick up as the taboo word has been spoken yet again, only this time, Chouji heard it. "What did you just say?" Chouji asks, "I could have sworn that you called me fat." Chouji then turns to face Toragai, with his eyes filled with rage, "I AM NOT FAT! BANZAI! **_BAIKA NO JUTSU!_**" Chouji then thunders toward Toragai again with the same Meat tank fighting style. Toragai then stands to his feet, "I fell for that technique once, BUT NOT AGAIN!" Toragai then starts a jutsu. _Rat, ox, ram, hare, dragon, tiger, snake, boar. _Toragai then slams his hands down on the ground, sending a wave effect across the sand toward Chouji.

"_**Doton: Kinko suna no jutsu" (Sand Imprisonment technique) **_

The wave reaches Chouji and the sand around him becomes loose, stopping Chouji's rotation and trapped him in quicksand up to his waste. Shackles then form out of sand and wrap around Chouji's wrists restraining him completely.

Meanwhile, Naruto is still making his way through the forest to reach his teammates. "Hold on guys. I'm on my way. Just hang in there till I get there." Naruto then connects with the chakra of the kyuubi and his chakra turns to a dark red. His speed then increases exponentially as he then races through the forest faster then before.

At the same time, Shikamaru still tries to figure out the secret to Keinea's technique. _"He waits until I am vulnerable and then he strikes, from the side, or behind or at point blank range. He jumps from shadow to shadow but can move within any shadow around. It's almost flawless. There has to be a weakness somewhere. Wait a minute . . ." _Keinea then leaps from right in front of Shikamaru and strikes him across the face with another hard blow, changes direction and disappears into a shadow to Shikamaru's right. Shikamaru then begins to notice something, _"That's it! He can travel between shadows, but he can't travel through any of them that are not connected. If they are not connected, he has to leave the shadow and travel to another one. So he can't manipulate the shadow, he can only travel inside single or connecting shadows, and there has to be something else. The shadows must become like tunnels for him. He uses his chakra to increase the depth of the shadow and uses chakra to change his own structure in order to travel through that space._ _It must be like he has a field around his body that allows him to do so. That would explain why his clothing, kunai and shuriken can travel through as well. So if that is the case then the solution should be simple. Take away his field, or take away the shadows. I guess shadows it is."_ Shikamaru then attaches a flash bang from his equipment to the ring at the bottom of one of his kunai. He then waits for Keinea's next move. When Keinea leaps from a shadow just behind Shikamaru, Shikamaru throws his kunai to a thick shadow just in front of him. Shikamaru takes another kunai slash across the back, just as his kunai lands in the centre of the shadow. Keinea quickly makes his way toward the shadow that has the kunai. Everything seems to slow down to a crawl as Shikamaru observes the kunai beginning to ignite as it sinks into the shadow Keinea is just a few feet away from. As Keinea lands in the shadow, the flash bang goes off, exploding with a bright flash of light. Keinea finds himself crouched down in the centre of the bright light, blocking his eyes as his safe haven has been taken from him.

"WHAT?!" Keinea says, baffled by the turn of events.

Before he can ready the jutsu again, Shikamaru topples him with a strike of his own. He punches Keinea directly in the face, sending Keinea toward a large tree. Instead of hitting the solid mass of wood, Keinea disappears into the shadow that Shikamaru himself had cast upon the tree. Shikamaru gets his distance from the tree and analyses what shadows were connected to his own. Shikamaru quickly notices that the shadow was connected to the shadows that the trees have been casting on the forest floor. Keinea in theory could be anywhere. However, he appears quickly with a vengeance and a look of pure rage across his face, as he emerges from the shadows, striking Shikamaru with a hard right hand, sending the chuunin to the ground yet again.

"_Damn I was so close. I am on the right track though, he is getting frustrated as well, he will make a mistake sooner or later. But at this rate, I may not have that long." _Suddenly an idea crosses Shikamaru and he turns his attention to the still trapped Chouji. "CHOUJI! CAN YOU TAKE OUT THE TOPS OF THE TREES?"

Chouji looks over to his longtime friend, "I think so."

"THEN DO IT!"

"**_Bubun Baika No Jutsu" (Partial Multi Size) _**Chouji's arm then breaks the shackles of sand as it inflates to an enormous size. Chouji then swings his massive arm up toward one of the largest trees in the group that Shikamaru pointed to. Chouji's massive hand punches the tree causing it to splinter and crack. Chouji then grabs the tree and begins to pull it down. Before Chouji can completely pull the tree down, Toragai restrains him again with the shackles of sand. However, the damage has been done, as the large tree falls, it knocks over two other trees, taking away all of the shadows in which Keinea was hiding.

"GOT YOU!" Shikamaru shouts as the Keinea appears without a place to hide. As he then tries to move away and find another shadow in which to take cover in, he finds himself unable to move yet again. He looks down to see the signature shadow bind of Shikamaru, trapping him yet again.

"I thought we established that this technique is no good against me." Keinea then sinks yet again into Shikamaru's shadow. However, Shikamaru retracts his shadow quickly and narrows it to the width of a thin piece of wire. He then retracts his shadow until it remains just underneath him.

"That is what I was hoping for." Says a confident Shikamaru.

"Wh-what did you do? Wh-why can't I move? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" A confused and very angry Keinea questions.

"Your technique uses shadows as tunnels in which you can travel to and from. However I observed that you cannot travel through any shadows that are not connected. Also I noticed that you cannot manipulate shadows like I can. Which means that those tunnels that you use as your main offensive weapon, can also work . . . as a prison."

"WH-WHAT? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!"

"You can't leave the shadow unless you have sufficient space in which to make an exit. I am assuming that it works whether you have the shadow concentrated into a large enough space or just as along as it makes up an efficient overall surface area. So unless my shadow extends to an adequate surface area, you are stuck in my shadow." Shikamaru looks around and notices he is standing in the middle of an opening on the forest floor that a large amount of sunlight is focussed on. _"The only problem now is, if he gets out I don't know if I am going to be able to handle him. His technique is an almost perfect counter to my own. Looks like both of us are stuck here. Once I run out of chakra to constrict my shadow with, it is only a matter of time before the shadows of the tree's give him an opening."_

Meanwhile, Maea and Sakura continue their trading of medical attacks while Toragai does his best to dodge Chouji's still massive arm that is being swung at him relentlessly. At the same time, Tsunade has been fully briefed on Toshida's intentions, and it is much more than she could have ever thought possible.

"_It's impossible. He can't be serious. This young man? He is just like "him". But yet they are so different. His eyes lack "his" innocence. This boy looks so cold on the inside. This has to be a trick. But something about him and his story, I find hard not to believe."_

"And that Tsunade-sama, is why I have sought you out. We have been planning this mission for some time now. You can see why approaching you directly would have been useless in this situation. Your guards would have arrested me even if they thought I was lying. I am sorry for all of the deception, but I am desperate. I beg of you Tsunade-sama, can you please help me?"

Every fibre in Tsunade's being does not trust the mysterious shinobi. But something about the dark young man, seems genuine.

"I am sorry. But I cannot help you. I am not even sure if I can believe your story. I would make a valuable hostage to whatever village you may be from. I am sorry but I cannot take the risk that you are lying. I will fight you if necessary to leave your custody."

"I think you have misunderstood me Tsunade-sama. Ever since you broke away from your restraints, you have no longer been in my custody. You have shown the utmost courtesy in remaining here to listen to me. But I must ask you again to reconsider my request for help."

"I am sorry but I will not help you." Tsunade then begins to walk past Toshida who remains stoic in his expression.

"I thank you for your time, Tsunade-sama," Toshida then looks to the ground, his expression changed from a stoic stare, into an angry scowl. He then turns around and leaps into the air surprising Tsunade. "Sorry Tsunade-sama, but I cannot take no for an answer."

Tsunade readies herself for Toshida's attack, but before Toshida lands his attack, he changes direction in mid air and begins to head toward the fighting between the rest of Tsunade's village people. Tsunade looks on in confusion as she tries to figure out his intentions. Then suddenly, Toshida makes them evident.

"If you will not help me willingly, then I will show you a demonstration of "its" power. By killing every one of your subordinates!"

Tsunade follows Toshida to the best of her ability, but Toshida's speed is remarkable, and he quickly gains ground on the furious Hokage.

Back at the battles, Keinea can feel his brother's presence coming closer. Still trapped in Shikamaru's shadow, Keinea thinks to himself.

"_Brother is returning. Did he talk to the Hokage already? Why is he coming back?" _Keinea then gets a better feeling of the chakra his brother is emitting, as if it was a clear manifestation of his frame of mind. _"And why is he so angry?! This is not good. I have to get out of this damn shadow. If "it" wakes up, then brother may lose control again." _Keinea then tries to convince Shikamaru to release him. "Hey! Leaf! You have to let me out of here! I give you my word that I will surrender to you if you let me out."

Shikamaru however, is not convinced. "I don't think so. You have proven already that you are all deceitful and untrustworthy. This would just be another trap that I assure you, I will not fall for."

"This is not a trick I swear to you! My brother is returning, and he is very angry. If he loses control, then we are all done for. Nothing you or I can do will stop him if "it" wakes up. Please, I am begging you, let me out of here."

Keinea's words have shaken Shikamaru, _"He sounds serious. I don't trust him at all, but his brother is creepy. I don't doubt that his strength is at a level high above mine, but what is this "it" he keeps talking about? If "it" wakes up? What does he mean?"_

Before Shikamaru can ponder any longer, a dark shadow approaches him at high speed. Shikamaru sees only a blur as he is attacked and sent hard into a tree, knocking him unconscious. Keinea then leaps out of the shadow that once held him and he immediately begins to search for his brother. He notices a fast blur moving toward Sakura and he moves to intercept. Sakura is still fighting with Maea on top of a high tree branch, and when she notices Maea look into the darkness with an expression of intense fear, Sakura turns around to notice a dark shadow speeding toward her. The only thing she can make out is a pair of bright green eyes staring at her with malicious intent. The shadow reaches out and grabs her around the throat, lifting her off the ground and sucking out any fight that Sakura had left in her.

Toshida then drops to the forest floor with Sakura in hand. He lifts her off the ground yet again by her throat and begins to squeeze hard. Toshida's look has changed from the frightening glare he had moments before, to his trademark stoic look. He looks almost as if he is deeply saddened by what he is doing, but remains powerless to stop it.

Chouji remains restrained in the sand pit created by Toragai as he screams at the top of his lungs, helpless to protect his friends. "SHIKAMARU! SAKURA!" He tries as hard as he can to free himself, but the harder he fights, the tighter the sand constricts him.

Toragai, Maea and Keinea stand beside Toshida who stands set and ready to kill Sakura. He looks at Sakura in her frightened eyes and mutters the words, "Forgive me child. I am very sorry." Toshida then readies himself to crush Sakura's throat.

However, before Toshida makes the fatal move, the pain he received in his stomach earlier in the day returns with a vengeance. He drops Sakura to the ground, as he himself falls clutching his chest and stomach. "Wh-what do you want you monster?!" Toshida says out loud as if talking to someone else. "What do you mean it's him? What are you talking about?"

Toshida looks to the top of the tree line and slowly rises to his feet, fighting the pain in his chest. His teammates begin to stare in the same direction, and soon Sakura musters the strength to look and see for herself. Her eyes fill with hope as she can see a familiar face in the trees. The figure then drops from the trees and stands only ten metres from the four sin shinobi.

He points his finger to the shinobi and says, "Get away from Sakura-chan. Or none of you will survive to see tomorrow." A determined Naruto has finally arrived on the scene ready to fight and protect his precious friends.

Toshida's look then changes from a frightened and painful grimace, to a focussed and arrogant smile. He then starts to laugh silently with two voices in unison. The first voice is Toshida's own, and the second is the unearthly, deep and scratchy voice heard once before back in the locker room when Toshida had to be sealed. His eyes light up with the same green glow seen earlier, he looks at Naruto directly and Naruto is then stricken with an intense fear of his own.

"I . . . I know you . . . don't I? Who are you?" Naruto says, stuttering to get the words out, as the face that seemed so alien to Naruto moments ago, once again becomes awfully familiar.

Toshida then speaks in the duel voice, sending shivers up his teammates spines, and making the hair on Naruto's neck stand up on end.

"**_It's been a long time . . . hasn't it? . . . FOX!"_**


	9. Why?

_**Chapter 9: Why?**_

Naruto looks on in disbelief, as the mysterious Toshida has identified Naruto's other half. Toshida remains with a maniacal grin on his face, his eyes still glowing green as Toshida's other side seems to be showing.

"_How does he know about the nine-tails?" _Naruto asks himself. _"He seems so familiar to me, yet I can't figure out from where. Now he's calling me a fox. So he must know about the nine-tails. And those eyes of his, they are so cold, they're almost . . . evil."_

Tsunade finally catches up and arrives on the scene. She looks around the area and notices the unconscious Shikamaru and Chouji still trapped in the sand prison. She looks to Naruto staring in shock at the four sin shinobi who stand above a fallen Sakura. The sight of her apprentice injured begins to enrage the Hokage as she clenches both fists and readies to attack.

Naruto notices and addresses the Hokage, "Granny Tsunade, stay back, please. There is something about this man that I recognize. He also hurt Sakura and abducted you. I want some answers. So please stay out of this for now."

Toshida looks to his shinobi with an address of his own. He says while still using the combination voice of him and the darker and more sinister voice form within, **_"You heard him. Back away and let us deal with him!"_**

Maea and Toragai back away immediately leaving Keinea to stay close behind his brother. Keinea looks to the other two shinobi and signals both of them to move back closer to Toshida. He then says in a low whisper, "Stay close to him, we may have to seal him quickly again. It looks like brother is still managing to maintain control, that means the seal is still working and he's letting the beast out just a little bit. He hasn't changed yet, so we may be lucky today." Keinea then takes a second to think to himself, _"He must have received the wrong answer from the Hokage. Dammit brother I hope you know what you are doing." _

Inside Toshida's mind, a battle is being waged between both personalities. One is that of this mysterious evil and the other is of Toshida himself. The battle of wills is beginning to turn for the worse, as Toshida begins to lose control.

Toshida's voice echoes inside his own head. _"Dammit you monster, what are you talking about? Give me back control. I will not let you hurt anyone this day."_

The dark voice answers back, _"You don't have a choice boy! Never forget who the dominant one is in this relationship. I have often wondered what happened to that damned fox ever since I became trapped in this realm. Now I know that he's in a stupid human just like me! This is perfect. It will give me the chance to have my revenge on that cursed beast. Hmm, there is also something different about this child."_

Meanwhile, Toshida is clutching his head and grimacing in pain as the voice in his head is almost too loud for him to bare. Then, all in attendance are shocked when Toshida's body begins to change.

Keinea begins to panic as he rolls up his sleeve revealing the seal he showed earlier. "Dammit, he's losing, it's time for you guys get into position."

Maea and Toragai roll up their sleeves as well, readying themselves to perform the sealing jutsu. Before they can get into position however, Toshida begins to glow with an ominous green chakra. When the sin shinobi try to grab a hold on Toshida, his chakra flares up and it sends all three of the shinobi hurdling into the air. Toragai hits a tree base hard and lands on the ground clutching at his back. Maea hits the ground and tumbles end over end until stopping her roll and rising to her knees, and Keinea manages to pull off his shadow walking technique in time to land gently in the shadow of a tree. He quickly recovers and comes storming out of the shadow with his fist clenched and ready.

Meanwhile, Toshida's skin has begun to take on a light whitish-green tinge in some spots around his face and hands. His thick braided ponytail begins to quickly unravel itself, sending his long black hair down over his face and down just past his shoulders.

"BROTHER!" Keinea screams as he thunders toward his older brother at highspeed. He punches Toshida straight in the face as he screams "SNAP OUT OF IT!"

Toshida staggers to his left, reeling from his brother's punch. His skin recedes to its normal colour and he regains his composure quickly. "Thank . . . you brother. I got careless."

At the same time, Naruto has seen enough. He makes the seal of the ram and begins to gather a lot of chakra. "I don't know who you guys are, but either way, what you have done cannot be easily forgiven." Naruto's chakra turns from blue to red as the nine-tails chakra is being accessed. His orange coat bursts open and blows in the wind as Naruto then switches his hand seal to one that made him famous.

"**_Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" _**Four shadow clones then appear beside Naruto. Three of the clones begin to charge the sin shinobi as one stays behind. One clone goes after Maea, the other after Toragai and another to Keinea.

"All right then you little punk! If you we have to fight our way out of here, that's fine by me!" Keinea says as he steps in front of his brother ready to defend, and fight his way through.

"Stop brother!" Toshida says as he places a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Something has come up brother. We need to get out of here. This fight will have to take place another day."

Keinea looks to his brother in awe, but he does not argue, he turns to Maea and Toragai and lets them know of the new plan. "Maea, Toragai, fall back, we're leaving."

Keinea leads the way as the Maea and Toragai follow with Toshida in the rear. The four begin heading northwest. Tsunade remains behind but is unable to stop a charging Naruto, who has a Rasengan in hand.

"Wait! Naruto! Come back here!" Tsunade screams in vein.

"No one said you could leave yet you bastard!" Naruto says to get the attention of Toshida. Naruto gets within a few feet of the wiry shinobi and thrusts his right arm toward him. **_"RASENGAN!"_**

Toshida turns around quickly and braces himself on a thick tree branch. The others turn around in time and try to make it back to Toshida before Naruto strikes him. However, Toshida shows no emotion as he counters Naruto's Rasengan with his bare hand.

"WH-WHAT?!" Naruto says as he tries to push his way through Toshida to strike him with his trump card technique. "How the hell can you block this?"

Toshida simply smiles as chakra is swirling in a circle in his own hand. As Naruto pushes harder into Toshida's hand, the size of the Rasengan begins to diminish, and its shape becomes erratic.

"_The Rasengan is fading! How is he doing this?" _Naruto says to himself.

Toshida then uses his right hand to clutch against Naruto's stomach. Naruto looks on with a worried look as he fears the worst wondering what Toshida plans to do next. However, the worst never comes as Toshida rips a large whole in Naruto's black T-shirt, revealing the seal on Naruto's stomach.

"_Th-those seals it's the seal of . . . I think I know what it's worried about. This is truly an unexpected development. I must learn more." _Toshida then places his right hand on the tree and green chakra begins to transfer from his left arm over to his right, and into the palm of his right hand.

"Uzumaki Naruto eh? You and I will meet again, in the near future. When that happens, I hope we can relate to one another on equal grounds."

"What are you talking about?" Responds a confused Naruto.

Before Naruto can get a response out of Toshida, an explosion occurs where Toshida's hand once was. Smoke fills the air and splinters of burning wood are sent everywhere. Tsunade searches the tree's to see if Naruto has become visible. In a few seconds, Tsunade sees Naruto, falling out of the smoke cloud with his outfit charred and a black smoke coming from his coat. Tsunade runs to catch Naruto before he hits the ground, but notices Naruto stop falling and begin swinging back and forth.

"What the?" Tsunade then looks to the tree's and she can see wire attached to Naruto's leg with the other end tied around the tree branch in which he once stood. Tsunade then notices Toshida finishing the knot that dangles Naruto from the tree. He makes brief eye contact with the Hokage and he leaves the scene quickly with the rest of his teammates.

"_I must learn more about this. This child may hold the key to my emancipation." _Toshida thinks to himself as team speeds through the wave country toward the bay. _"I just hope I didn't hurt him too bad."_

Back at the battle scene, Naruto has been cut down from the tree by the Hokage. Tsunade helps Chouji from the sand pit, and Chouji helps her bring Shikamaru and Sakura back to full health. The medical sage uses her plethora of medical jutsu to easily heal all wounds that the brave genin suffered. Sakura regains consciousness first and she immediately runs to Naruto's side.

Naruto's wounds begin to heal right before Sakura's eyes and he too regains consciousness. He almost completely ignores Sakura and directs his attention to Tsunade. Questions and anger fill Naruto's mind, _"How did he know about the nine-tails? How does he know me? Why do I hate him so much, when I know nothing about him?"_

Sakura still remains concerned for Naruto, "Naruto, are you all right? What happened up there?"

Naruto does not answer Sakura, but offers a question of his own. "Granny Tsunade, who were those guys?"

Shikamaru begins to regain consciousness, and follows with his own question. "Yea, you must have been alone with the leader for at least ten minutes. You must have learned something. About who they really are?"

"Where they come from?" Chouji inquires.

"Why they abducted you?" Sakura asks.

"Or how they know about the nine-tails?" Says Naruto. "I need to know what is going on here Granny Tsunade. This has me really confused."

A shocked look comes over Tsunade's face as if she had been hit with the realization that someone had been left behind.

"Ino!" She says, as she turns around and heads back toward the area where Toshida and Ino fought.

Sakura finds herself concerned for Ino's well being, but she is still occupied with worrying about Naruto. "Naruto, what happened up there?"

"I am not really sure, I tried using the Rasengan against him, and he countered it." Naruto says as he stares off into nothingness, utterly confused about all that has happened this day. "It was like he transferred all the chakra in the technique, and used it against me."

"Well at least you're ok right?"

"It wasn't my well being I was worried about Sakura-chan. It was those eyes of his." Naruto begins to recall the look in Toshida's eyes. The eyes tell a story that only Naruto seems to be able to understand. "There was something about those eyes. They were dark . . . and powerful. Yet, they seemed so sad . . . when he looked at me, and looked in my eyes, and then at the seal on my stomach . . ." Naruto holds the seal that binds the nine-tails to his body, still protruding from the rip in his shirt. "His look changed when he looked at me . . . it was almost like, those eyes that were so sad before . . ."

The scene changes to the sin shinobi arriving back at their former encampment on the shores of the wave country.

". . . were now filled with hope."

Keinea begins moping around the encampment kicking over logs and rocks and cursing under his breath. Toshida stands on a thick tree branch overlooking the shore, watching the sun begin to set. Maea and Toragai begin gathering up any supplies they had left before they departed on their mission.

Keinea continues his pouting as Toragai has had enough. "Keinea will you stop? Your moping is driving me nuts."

"I'm not moping, I'm just pissed off so leave me alone will you." Keinea responds. He then looks to his older brother, "We were so close weren't we? I mean we had the Hokage, we were on our way home, I mean all the months we spent planning this, WHAT WENT WRONG GOD DAMMIT!"

"Calm down Keinea," Maea says as she walks to Keinea's side. "Toshida has not let us down before, you should know that better than anyone." Maea tries to place her hand on the young shinobi's shoulder, but her hand is smacked away by the frustrated Keinea.

"Brother, what happened back there? Why did we let them go? Why did we retreat? You at least owe us that much. We risked our lives for this plan, and we got nothing out of it, the plan was called off. But why?"

Toragai interrupts as Toshida drops from his perch in the tree. "Speak for yourself Keinea, I didn't see that blond leaf bitch walking around so I am assuming your brother gave her what she deserved. So I got what I wanted."

Toragai laughs heartily, as Toshida remembers the accident that occurred when Ino tried her mind body switch technique. Toshida grimaces with a mental pain as he solemnly regrets what happened to the Leaf Genin.

"Haha, I bet you tore that little girl into a million pieces didn't you boss . . ."

Before Toragai could say anymore, he finds himself on the receiving end of a thunderous left hand from Toshida, knocking him to the ground hard.

"Keep your mouth shut you little shit!" A furious Toshida says, as he stands over a frightened Toragai. "What happened to her was never meant to happen, I never wanted to hurt her, she just got overzealous."

"All right, all right! Geez, you can really be hot headed sometimes. You know that?" Toragai says as he rises to his feet. "But like always, I will just put up with the abuse and chalk it all up to that thing inside you."

"Trust me Toragai, that thing doesn't control me all the time. Half the time I am forced to strike you, it is of my own volition."

Toragai's anger rises and he tries to attack Toshida, "Why you!"

Before he can strike Toshida, (who has also moved to strike) Keinea stands in between the two. "Cool it, both of you! This is not going to get us anywhere." The two shinobi back away from one another as Keinea tries to calm them both down.

"Toragai, you should know by now that your mouth will get you into nothing but trouble. And brother, it was an accident and you know how Toragai is."

Toshida then turns from his brother and walks over to a supply bad that sits up against the tree he was once perched on. "Toragai, I apologize." Toragai nods and accepts the apology.

Toshida reaches into the supply bag and pulls out a long sheath. The sheath is doubled and is made of two sheaths put together into one. Toshida straps the sheath onto himself and buckles it over his jacket. The sheath end, which is just over Toshida's right shoulder, shows a sword handle primarily black with a silver trim along the back of the handle and a partial silver grip. The bottom of the handle is a slanted silver base roughly two inches long pointed toward the sharp side of the blade, and directed slightly downward. The hilt protrudes only an inch toward the back end of the handle, but roughly three inches toward the sharp side of the blade. The short end is rounded and the long end curves downward slightly, making a point at the end.

The other end of the sheath has a far more straight forward handle that sticks out just past Toshida's hip. The handle is simple, and black with a rubber grip to it and a length sufficient for one hand, while the other handle would be long enough for a two-handed grip. In between the two weapons, there is a long satchel made of some kind of a pelt. After attaching the large sheath Toshida reaches back, and grabs what was inside the satchel.

"Hmpf, it is strange how I felt almost naked without having these with me."

Toshida then leaps back to his perch on the tree branch, and reveals that the object in the satchel was not a weapon, but a long flute made of a solid piece of bamboo. As he readies the flute to his lips and closes his eyes, he addresses the question of his confused brother.

"Don't worry Keinea. All of you have risked your lives for me and nothing I can ever say would express my gratitude to its full extent. But I must ask you all again to trust me and lend me your skills. We have another mission, which will begin at dawn tomorrow. This one will require much more planning. However, we will need to do all planning only minutes before we actually go through with it. And suffice to say, this mission will be far more dangerous, and less likely to succeed."

Toshida turns and looks to his teammates. "I will tell you the plan momentarily, but I need to know this instant, as to whether or not all of you will participate. If you say no, to me it will only mean that you choose not to partake in this mission. If you wish to say no completely and leave this team forever, it is your choice. I will not stand in your way. But I need to know . . . Are you in? Or are you out?"

The remaining sin shinobi look to their leader in awe, as the request from Toshida is so sudden and almost too much to believe.

Keinea is the first to respond, "I am not sure what your plan is brother but . . ." Keinea shakes his head and tries to remove all doubt in his mind, but the doubt does not leave. He struggles with his reasoning that tells him to say no, and just sit this one out, and his feelings that tell him that his big brother is right.

Toragai gives his answer before Keinea can finalize his. "Well boss, I think you're nuts. But then again, it sounds like fun. So I am definitely in."

Maea follows suit with the same answer however, her response is not embedded in optimism and the pursuit of fun like Toragai's, her answer comes from fear. "I have been in your debt for some time now Toshida-sama, I-I will not back out on you now." Maea tries to hide her fear from Toshida, but Toshida has been aware of it for sometime.

"No Maea." Toshida says, to the surprise of the beautiful dark-haired shinobi. "This has nothing to do with the debt you have to me that you THINK you have to me. This is your choice and your choice alone. Do not let me be the one to decide your fate."

Toshida then thinks to himself, "_Sukio Maea_. _You have followed me for a long time now, but I know you do it out of a sense of duty. You are the most beautiful woman, and the most honourable shinobi I have ever met. Yet you still remain afraid of me, of what I am. I don't blame you. And for that, I'm sorry."_

"I know it is my choice Toshida-sama, and I choose to follow you through whatever you ask of me." Maea then reveals a smile that soothes Toshida's mind and heart.

"I thank you Sukio. And please, stop calling me Toshida-sama. I am no more a lord to you then you are to me. So, please, stop the formality."

"Y-yes Toshida-sama, I-I mean Toshida." Maea stammers as she shakes her head and smiles.

Keinea then looks to his brother having been almost inspired by the words of his teammates. "Brother, I made a promise to you years ago that I have not broken. I remind myself of it every day. And until the time comes to fulfill my promise to you, I will follow you through hell and back." Keinea then smiles as he makes eye contact with his brother.

Back on his perch, _"Thank you, brother." _Toshida turns his back to his teammates and once again readies his flute. "All of you get something to eat, and then get to bed early. We will need all of the rest that we can get for tomorrow morning."

The three sin shinobi turn from their leader and return to their respective tents.

Before Toshida begins to play his flute, one last thought crosses his mind. _"Gather your strength my friends. It is a long journey . . . to the fire country."_

Back at the area where the battle took place, Tsunade arrives back at the group with a still catatonic Ino. Sakura comes running Tsunade's side as her friend remains lifeless, her eyes staring blankly with a look of fear embedded into her face.

"INO!" Sakura drops to her knees as she looks over her friend with tears in her eyes. "Tsunade-sama, what happened to her? Is she going to be all right?"

"It was their leader. Ino used Shintenshin no jutsu on the leader, and then she just fell to the ground screaming. Physically she is ok, but her mind has been damaged severely. I am positive that I can heal her mental wounds, but I will need some of the medicine back at the leaf village."

Tsunade then closes Ino's eyes and gives her limp figure to Chouji to carry. "She will be in a coma until we can get her home. I would like to look over any of the documents her clan may have on their mind transferring techniques. It might help me to find a way to speed up her recovery."

All of the leaf shinobi then stand up and listen to the Hokage's orders without question. "We must head back to the arena and let everyone know that we are ok. We will stay one more night in the wave country and then head out early tomorrow morning."

All of the shinobi nod in approval, with the exception of Naruto. "Granny Tsunade!"

"It has been more then a year since I have seen you Naruto and you still have not learned, DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Tsunade says as she shakes her fist at Naruto.

"All right, all right! Before I go anywhere, I want to know what you know about those guys! I mean how do they know about the nine-tails?! And why did they kidnap you?!"

"Naruto, I don't really know that much. Everything that Toshida told me, seemed . . . just too hard to believe. But . . . he seemed so genuine, almost frightened. I don't know what to believe."

Naruto becomes increasingly frustrated and impatient. He starts hitting himself on the top of the head with his knuckles in hopes that maybe, just maybe his childish actions will get a straight answer out of the confused Hokage.

"WHY DO YOU HAVE TO SPEAK IN QUESTIONS AND RIDDLES?! JUST ANSWER MY QUESTION! WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THEM? THIS ALWAYS HAPPENS, WHENEVER IT COMES TIME FOR ME TO START ASKING QUESTIONS INSTEAD OF ANSWERING THEM, EVERYONE JUST IGNORES ME OR AVOIDS THE QUESTION, GOES TO FIND SOMETHING TO EAT, STARTS READING A BOOK TRIES TO CHANGE THE TOPIC, GOES BIRD WATCHING, STARTS PETTING KITTENS AND PLAYING CATCH WITH A DOG, OR CHASING BUTTERFLIES OR IN ERO-SENSEI'S CASE GETS DISTRACTED BY SOME WOMAN WALKING BY OR . . ."

Before Naruto can rant any further, he notices the rest of the shinobi walking away, back toward the arena, leaving Naruto behind to rant all he wants to the trees and any other little animals that may be wandering around.

"What?! Oh you guys are jerks!" Naruto then runs and tries to catch up with the group.

After over an hour of walking, Tsunade and company arrive back at the stadium which is swarming with people. Medics, security and news groups all converge on the arena where the abduction and attack took place. As the shinobi walk by they notice that many of the people being treated at the medic stations, are spectators being treated for minor scrapes and bruises, cuts and some broken bones.

The scene is not as bad as the leaf shinobi thought it would be. After searching through the crowd Tsunade notices a familiar face, as Jiraiya has a tent set up where he is looking after some of the injured. The entire group makes their way over to Jiraiya who is looking over one of the injured.

"Tsunade! It is good to see that you weren't hurt." Jiraiya notices Ino in Chouji's arms and his expression changes from one of relief one of great sadness. "What happened to her?"

Tsunade answers. "I don't really know. She is catatonic and in a coma right now. Her injuries aren't serious but her mental damage is severe."

"Hmm. This is not good. That makes two of our genin affected by the same problem."

"What do you mean "two" Jiraiya? Tsunade looks past her fellow sennin and notices Shino laying on a medical bed unconscious.

"SHINO!" The whole group shouts in unison.

Tsunade looks over the comatose genin and does a quick examination. "Jiraiya, What happened to him?"

A voice comes from behind Tsunade's group, "We don't know what happened to him."

The group turns around to see Neji leaning against a tree. "When I regained consciousness and was looked over by the medical team, I went looking for him. I found him at the back of the arena, unconscious in some tall grass. I picked him up and carried him here."

Shikamaru grimaces, as he remembers that Shino was the reason he was here. He remembers himself finishing a mission on the very fringes of the fire country.

_**Flashback**_

"All right that should about do it." Shikamaru says as he wipes some sweat from his forehead. "Aw man. It is already three o clock." Shikamaru says as he looks to the position of the sun in the sky. "It will take me an hour at least to get to back to the leaf village. And that is if I don't make any stops or breaks. Then I have to finish my mission report and hand it in to Kotetsu . . . by the time I finish it all up and get home it will be after five. If I am late for dinner then I have to listen to mom yell at me for being late again."

Shikamaru lets out a trademark sigh just before he notices a bug flying around his head. He swats at the bug but the bug continues to bother him. Soon the bug is joined by a second. Two bugs become four bugs. Four bugs become eight bugs and eight become sixteen. Before Shikamaru can react there is an entire swarm of bugs flying around him in a circle. He begins to back away from the annoying bugs but then realizes a purpose in their flying.

"Hmm? Bugs don't normally fly in a formation like that. Unless they are being controlled by some . . . Shino?" Shikamaru looks around the area to try and locate the crafty Shinobi, but he does not notice him anywhere.

"Why would Shino, or any other member of the Aburame clan have their bugs out here by themselves?"

The bugs then form into a large map of the fire country. Shikamaru then begins to understand that the bugs are trying to convey a message to him. The bugs then form the islands that make up the wave country and its surrounding area. The last remaining bugs form an arrow that points to the location of the arena and where the tournament is taking place.

"That's where that tournament is supposed to be taking place isn't it?" As Shikamaru asks the bugs, he realizes what he was just doing. "Why am I asking bugs?"

The bugs then begin buzzing louder and louder as the message does not appear to be getting through to Shikamaru.

"What?! What?!" Shikamaru asks the bugs. "Wait a minute, is Shino all right?"

The bugs buzz louder and begin swarming around frantically.

"Ok, if Shino is all right, buzz louder. If not, then buzz more quietly."

The bugs then buzz at almost a whisper like volume. They then form the map again showing Shikamaru where he has to go.

"All right then. I'll go find Shino. You guys lead the way I guess."

The bugs then headed back toward the wave country leading Shikamaru to Shino's location. Before they made it to the arena however, Shikamaru ran into the fleeing sin shinobi.

Back at the medical area Shikamaru apologizes to the fallen Shino. "Sorry Shino, if I had clued in just a little sooner, I might have made it here in time to help you."

"I don't know if that would have happened Shikamaru." Says Jiraiya, "when Neji brought him to my attention, he must have been unconscious for a few hours already. He would have had to have been knocked out before the bugs even reached you."

Tsunade closes Shino's eyes and places him next to the comatose Ino. "We will just have to treat them tomorrow when we get back to the leaf village."

Naruto lets out a sigh as he knows that he will just be heading back to his training now that the tournament is over. Jiraiya notices Naruto's unhappiness and comforts his student.

"Don't worry Naruto. We will go back to the leaf village as well." Naruto looks to his sensei with bright eyes and a large smile. "It couldn't hurt to take a bit of a break from our training. You did well in the tournament, so we can do some light training back at the village."

The scene then changes to the Raikage and his entourage who are all back at the hotel they had been set up in at the beginning of the tournament. The Raikage is pacing back and forth in the room as he tries to understand how Toshida could be alive.

"_It doesn't make sense. Toshida was killed five years ago. At least he should have been. I thought he and his brother were killed. I sent my best men after them!_"

The Raikage moves to the window of his room and stares up at the now full moon, high in the sky. _"Why have you turned up again Toshida? I thought that you were taken care of. I can only imagine what difficulties you may bring to me now that you are back in the picture. Either way, you should be dead . . . and if you aren't . . . then I will just have to try harder this time."_

Suddenly there is a knock at the door. "Come in!" Responds the Raikage.

As the door opens the Raikage directs his attention to the woman standing at the door. "Can I help you Hokage-dono?"

"Yes actually you can." Tsunade says with a determined look on her face. "I want to know everything you know about Akira Toshida. He told me a few details. Now I want you to fill in the gaps."

"I am afraid that Toshida is ranked in the highest of confidentiality in my government, village, and my country. Of that level, I cannot even discuss it with a fellow Kage."

"That man abducted me. He was after ME! He attacked MY shinobi! I saw the way you two looked at each other on that balcony, he knows you very well and hates you. But he avoided any redemption and he abducted me. He wanted me to help cure him from what he has. But I didn't believe him. And I don't think I would have been able to help him anyway."

"Well you are ok now, so everything is all right. Thank you for the visit Hokage-dono but I am tired so please leave."

Tsunade storms closer to the Raikage and spins him around by the shoulder. The Raikage's robe falls away and he appears just behind Tsunade. Tsunade turns around and meets him face to face, with both of them ready to attack one another.

"I don't want to fight you Raikage-dono. But, please, two of my shinobi are lying in comas and I want to fight out why. Please, tell me what you know about him and help me, help my shinobi."

The Raikage sighs and lowers his fists. "All right Tsunade. You win. I will tell you what you need to know."

The two sit down at opposite ends of a long table in the Raikage's room. The Raikage grabs a table side bottle of sake and pours himself a cup. Tsunade grabs an identical bottle from the other side of the table and pours herself a cup.

"Well I guess I should start at the beginning."

"That would be the best I suppose."

"Well then. Are you familiar with the area in the very northwest portion in the high mountains of the Thunder Country known as the Raikou Colony?"

"I cannot say that I have. Why? What does that have to do with anything?"

"It is a prison colony. It is where the thunder country as well as some of their associate countries, sends their most dangerous criminals. The colony is surrounded by mountains on all sides and numerous guard stations throughout the borderline of the colony. However, the area in between most of the boundaries has no guard stations and no security frontier.

"But how is it that you maintain control over prisoners with no security?"

"The mountains and altitude cause some very bad weather conditions in the area. There is no real plant life that grows, no native animals and very low temperatures. Constant lightning storms are also frequent in the area."

"So basically, you send people there to die?"

"I guess you could say that yes."

Tsunade shakes her head at the idea of a land where people are sent to die. "So Toshida was a criminal sent to this place?"

"Not exactly. Toshida was born there. His father was a criminal, and a former officer of mine."

"I am not sure I understand. I thought nothing could survive in that colony?" Tsunade says with a confused look on her face.

"Yes, no one can. However, a number of the criminals sent there managed to create a settlement in a series of caves throughout the mountains. They began to thrive there for sometime actually. The eventually managed to put together their own village of vagabonds, cut throats, and other criminals. This village was in existence for many years with no one having ever been able to survive the trip to the end of the colony's boundaries. Even if they did, the guards in the stations would be ordered to kill them on sight."

The Raikage rises from the table and looks out of his window at the moon again. "Because they were all a group of criminals damned to remain in those cursed mountains . . ."

Back at the shinobi's encampment, Toshida is sitting at his perch in the tree looking up at the same moon that the Raikage is watching so vigilantly.

". . . The colonists began to refer to their colony . . . As the Village of Sin."


	10. Origins of Sin

_**Chapter 10: Origin Of Sin **_

Tsunade and the Raikage discuss Toshida's origins over a few bottles of sake in the early hours of the morning. The two sit at opposite ends of a long table in the Raikage's temporary room, as the Raikage reveals to Tsunade, Toshida's history.

The Village of Sin. A nickname given to the Raikou prison colony on the northwestern fringes of the thunder country. The colony was home to any number of convicts and criminals from the thunder country and their associate countries. This barren wasteland in the high mountains of the colony, was where Toshida was born and raised. The announcement comes as a shock to the would be captive of Toshida, the Fifth Hokage and legendary sennin, Tsunade. She can only sit and wait for the Raikage's next startling announcement.

"Almost twenty years ago, three years after I took the position of Raikage, I came to grow quite fond of a young jounin in the Cloud villages' service by the name of Akira Kunashiro." The Raikage pours himself a fresh cup of sake before he continues. "This man was capable of doing almost any mission that was asked of him and he would complete it with ruthless efficiency."

"He was not only known for his loyalty and effectiveness, but he was also known for his swordsmanship. He possessed a great blade passed down in his family, which is said to be as priceless as it is deadly. The blade was always sharp and by legend, could cut through almost anything. His skills were swift, articulate and most of all deadly and accurate. Almost too accurate if you ask me."

"What do you mean?" asks Tsunade.

"I mean that he took too much pride in his work. He was a very dangerous man. Ruthless does not accurately describe him at all. He successfully completed more then one hundred "A" rank missions, and more then one hundred and fifty "S" class missions. And this was all in the span of only two or three years. To find a man this dangerous at the age of 23 is unprecedented."

"So I used him as my most precious tool. I had him perform missions of the highest calibre, and I returned his loyalty with whatever he desired. However, he desired nothing. He wished only to continue his service in my dominion. What more could a leader ask for?"

"I suppose nothing." Responds Tsunade, "But how did this loyal servant of yours end up in your country's prison colony?"

"One day I sent Kunashiro on an S class assassination of a man who was spawning a rebellion in the Thunder country. The man he was sent to kill, was very fond of using kinjutsu's and black magic techniques so to speak. He was planning on using these dark techniques as a way to overthrow my government."

"So you sent Kunashiro to kill him and stop the uprising?"

"Yes. However, it did not go as expected. Kunashiro did not kill the target for a reason to this day I still do not understand."

"He betrayed you, didn't he." Tsunade guesses.

"Yes indeed he did. He stormed my palace by himself and attempted to murder me. He failed of coarse and was stopped by my guards and me. However, he killed 12 of my best shinobi before he was finally subdued."

"I took pity on him for his past loyalty and deeds, and sentenced him to the prison colony to live out the rest of his life."

"That doesn't sound merciful at all!" Tsunade says rising from her chair. "You just told me that nothing can survive in that colony. You sentenced him to die either way."

"Hmpf, yes you're right. However, in that way he would succumb to the elements and die, and would not face what in his mind would be a great dishonour, to die by being executed by his former comrades. So I saved his honour for him and did not kill him on the spot. Also, who knows, Kunashiro may have been able to survive after all. He was an extraordinary man after all."

"And he did survive?"

"Yes he did. He found the village in the mountains and lived amongst them. From what I was lead to believe, he met another criminal, a female, the two later fell in love and became quite happy together from what I hear. But for Kunashiro, that wasn't enough. He became obsessed with getting his revenge on me. When he and the woman he fell in love with had a son, he began training him to be just as ruthless as he was, as soon as his son could walk."

"How did he come to leave the prison colony though?"

"One day, when he was about eight years old, he and his father stormed the guard towers and successfully made it out of the colony. Over the years there were cut backs from the Daimyo of the thunder country, so we had to take away some of the security that was stationed in the towers. We lost only three shinobi when they stormed the towers."

The Raikage removes his robe and hat and places them on a rack by the door of the hotel room. He retakes his seat at the other side of the table and pours yet another cup of sake.

Tsunade notices that the Raikage has begun to sweat. _"Why is he sweating? It isn't overly warm in here. Wait a second, he isn't hot, he's nervous! Why would he be nervous?"_

The Raikage continues with the story of Toshida's origin. "After they stormed the guard towers, they began planning my assassination. They were stupid enough to both try and storm my palace head on and were defeated swiftly by my guards. I thought that they had both been killed. But I suppose that I was wrong."

The Raikage stands up yet again, and looks at the clock on the wall. "Oh my, it is getting late isn't it. I suppose that Toshida just returned to get his revenge upon me yet again. As for why he abducted you, I suppose he wanted to try and use you as ransom in order to get close enough to me or something."

"_He is trying to get me to leave." _Tsunade grows more suspicious of the Raikage's actions with each passing minute. _"Although he is a powerful shinobi_, _he is a horrible_ _liar. That is not what Toshida told me. I don't know what part of these stories to believe."_

"I am sorry Hokage-dono, but I must ask you to leave. It is getting late and I must return to the cloud village tomorrow morning where an action plan will be carefully laid out to take care of Toshida and his brother."

"_Brother? The Raikage never mentioned anything about Toshida's brother. Did he think that I just did not know that one of those shinobi was his brother? That's it! He doesn't know how much I know and he is trying to get me to forget about all of this." _Tsunade just nods and stands up and stretches her arms and yawns.

"_Toshida scares him for some reason. But why? The Raikage is certainly a more powerful shinobi then Toshida, even with that thing inside him. He isn't afraid of him because of his power_, _then what is he afraid of?_"

The Raikage walks Tsunade to the door, "I am glad that the two leaders from our respective villages can talk so openly. Just forget about Toshida and the others, their attempt was unsuccessful against you so it is most likely that they will come after me again. It is no longer any concern of the leaf village's so I must ask that you keep all that I have told you to you for confidentiality purposes."

Tsunade puts on a fake smile and waves to the Raikage as she walks away. "Oh of coarse. It was a bit of a scare but I trust that you and your government will handle it all. Good luck! Oh and have a safe trip home!"

Tsunade thinks to herself as she walks away, _"That man is underestimating me. I don't know what the REAL story is, but I must find out. Perhaps I need to talk to Toshida again to put all the pieces together. However, after today I doubt I will ever see him again."_

Back in the hotel room the Raikage is joined by one of his security guards. The Raikage's expression changes from a false smile, to an angry glare. "The Hokage was on to us. I don't know what Toshida told her but I just hope that it wasn't anything too important. If what Toshida knows becomes public, my whole career could be ruined."

The Raikage turns to his guard as he puts his robe back on, "I want all of our current resources going into finding out where Toshida is. I want you to lead my personal guard and find him. Bring him back to the cloud village alive, and do it QUIETLY!"

The guard responds, "Yes Raikage-sama."

"I do not need the people of the cloud village becoming more aware of Toshida then they already are. To the public he was nothing more then a flash in the pan item of interest. If he were to resurface and start influencing the people of our village, I could face a general uprising, which would mean chaos for the entire country. So find him and bring him before me. You cannot kill him or that thing yet, but if we have him contained then at least he can be controlled."

The Hokage returns to her hotel room where she lays down on her bed, staring at the ceiling and wondering to herself, who is telling the truth. She begins to remember all of the things that Toshida had told her back when they spoke together in the forest.

_**Flashback**_

Akira Toshida and Tsunade stand before one another in the forest standing roughly ten metres apart. It is several moments after Ino was rendered unconscious after her attack against Toshida had failed.

"It all started roughly eighteen years ago. My name of course is Akira Toshida. I have no village to call my own, no great clan, and almost no family or friends. I am a wanted criminal in the Cloud village, for crimes I did not necessarily commit."

"Necessarily commit?" Asks Tsunade.

"I committed the actions, but they were not crimes. I am a former associate of the Raikage's and I used to be a lieutenant in the cloud villages' army, before the attempt on my life."

"Get to the point boy. What do you mean you need my help?"

Toshida lowers his head and lifts up his left hand. His hand then begins to become covered in a whitish green set of scales and his nails grow into thick long claws. Tsunade looks on in horror as Toshida's teeth begin to grow long and sharp, his eyes glow green and his pupils disappear.

Tsunade struggles to find the words to express what is going through her mind, "Wh-what the hell are you?"

Toshida's form then reverts back to normal just as suddenly as it changed. "My body does not just belong to me. My body contains the spirit of a demon, a dragon to be exact."

"_A demon trapped inside him? Another boy like Naruto? But how?"_

"When I was not even born, my father used a dark art's technique to summon the spirit of a dragon from the demon realm. Although he planned to summon the beast into himself, he did not understand the technique fully and the jutsu failed. He wanted to obtain the power that the dragon's spirit offered in order to take revenge upon those that had wronged him."

Toshida looks at his hands as feelings of regret and self loathing fill his mind. "My father did not obtain any of the dragon's powers. That fact drove him mad, until he fell in love with a woman who would later become my mother. When I was conceived, the spirit of the dragon moved from father to son, and the beast became manifest in me. I was born and the dragon was sealed within me, by me being given life."

Toshida lowers his hands and becomes more emotional as he tells the story. His voice gets louder and his speech becomes faster as he explains his origins.

"When the dragon was sealed in my father, its spirit became dormant in his body until it transferred to me. The technique took so much out of the dragon's spirit that it needed to regain all of its strength and power. So it has been growing, and getting stronger alongside me."

"However, the relationship is far from symbiotic. The dragon is a parasite. As It gets stronger, it converts more and more of my body to resemble its own. It takes almost all of my chakra and will power to simply maintain my humanity."

"The dragon's spirit works almost like a black hole of spiritual energy. Whenever I kill someone, their spiritual energy is absorbed into the dragon and the dragon gets stronger and stronger."

"You mean that it absorbs people's souls?" Tsunade asks.

"In a way of speaking, yes. Anytime someone dies by my hand or around me, their spirit and their very being are absorbed into me and used as sustenance for the beast. It gets stronger and stronger every time someone dies around me."

"The dragon remains conscious most of the time if not taken care of. My will is not strong enough to circumvent it, so if it wishes to kill someone, I have no say. It takes over and morphs my body as much as it can and does whatever it wishes. My consciousness remains subdued by the dragon's, and I can only stand by and watch as it does whatever it wishes."

"I helped my teammates to develop a sealing technique that works as a sedative for the dragon. By triangulating the point in my body in which the dragon is beginning to surface, the seal tranquillizes the dragon temporarily and I am able to remain in control."

Toshida thinks in his mind about the sacrifices that his team has made on his behalf. "The sealing technique has permanently branded each of my teammates with a large black scar that takes the shape of the seal. Performing the technique on me is not only excruciatingly painful and draining to me, but it hurts and exhausts them as well. Yet they stand by me, and perform the technique whenever I require it."

Tsunade finds herself almost saddened by the shinobi's story,_ "His teammates_ _aren't so_ _much_ _his comrades, as they are his caretakers. One of them is his brother if I remember. To have such a necessary bond between the two of them, its almost as touching as it is sad."_

"However, the sealing technique is not holding its effect as long as it used to. The technique incorporates a mild genjutsu that covers up all of the scars left by the sealing technique." Toshida raises two fingers in the seal of a half ram, and all of a sudden seals begin to appear all over his body. Numerous symbols and ancient text appear out of nowhere and cover almost eighty percent of his figure, his arms, hands, and face included.

"So many of them everywhere!" Tsunade says. "You have seals, on top of seals. This is madness!"

"As you can see Tsunade-sama, I am getting desperate." Toshida then reverts back, and all of the seals disappear. "The dragon has been growing accustom to constantly being sedated. So not only has it been growing a tolerance to the sealing jutsu, but whenever it does awaken, it is far more hostile and ruthless then it ever was before."

"The dragon can also be awakened by other means. If I use too much chakra too quickly, it wakes up. If I use up all of my chakra, the dragon takes over and uses its own supply. Or if I use one of its techniques, I run the risk of waking it up."

"One of its techniques? You mean the dragon has jutsu's of its own?"

"Yes actually. And they are extremely powerful. There are two types of techniques: The dragon's techniques, and those which were created in unison with the dragon's energy and my own."

"Because I am unable to use chakra to my full extent, I have been forced to focus primarily on taijutsu techniques and my swordsmanship. Fortunately for me, it was just increasing knowledge and skill that I was already superior to most shinobi in from a young age. But enough about me Tsunade-sama. I should tell you about my associates."

"My team is composed of some very talented shinobi. My brother Keinea specializes in surveillance and is very adept at developing new techniques. He is a brilliant young man and has been my right hand since the day we set out together. He was the one that first started using the sealing technique to incapacitate the dragon's spirit within me. He was the first one to join my quest."

"We later met a talented young medical ninja named Sukio Maea. She had been branded a criminal by her village and Keinea and I rescued her from her inevitable execution. Since then, she has felt that she owed me a life debt that she could never fulfill. Her expertise has come in very useful when trying to develop a proper technique to seal the dragon forever . . . or to finally kill me once and for all. Whichever solution comes first. So far . . . nothing. It was also she that thought of finding the "legendary medical ninja" Tsunade."

"She used to say, "If anyone could help you, it would be her." Toshida says remembering Sukio's words so vividly.

"Finally there is Masato Toragai, the newest member of our rag tag bunch of hoodlums." Toshida says with a smile on his face trying to see if his remark would get a smile out of the Hokage. Tsunade's expression remains determined and sceptical.

"S-sorry. We do not know much about Toragai, although he claims to have heard great things about my father, and was anxious to meet the son of the man who "stuck it to the Raikage" I believe he put it. We don't know which village he originally came from, but a lot of his techniques are earth based so I presume he was from the Hidden Rock village."

"Toragai is the binder of my group. His containment skills are very effective, as I am sure you noticed back at the arena."

Tsunade remembers Toragai's sound binding technique that contained the entire crowd in a sonic binding jutsu that used an enormous amplifier to send out the signal.

"Yes, I remember it well. Who designed that amplifier?" Asks Tsunade.

"We don't really know. When we told Toragai of our plan for the arena, he left our group for several days and returned with the amplifier. We were so impressed with the prospect of binding the entire crowd, rather then having to rely on sneakiness and luck, that we never asked where he got it from."

"All right I have heard enough already, I want to get down to the bottom line if you please." A stern Tsunade says as she readies her fists in case a conflict becomes necessary. "So why is it that you need my help?"

"The dragon is getting too strong for me to contain anymore. I am losing the battle within myself. I have killed many people in my lifetime, but that was years ago, and I avoid any fatalities whenever possible, and if possible, I avoid conflicts all together. However, when I sleep, I see their memories. I can hear their thoughts, I know their dreams . . . and I can see their faces."

Toshida clutches his fist as he grimaces to himself. "I am haunted by all those I have killed. If the dragon gets strong enough to convert my body into its own, it will be unstoppable. There is no shinobi alive that could possibly destroy this beast. I need your help, to find a way to take this monster out of my body or help me find a way to kill it."

"But this creature supposedly makes up most of your being. It is a part of you. You cannot just destroy or remove something like that and move on with your life." Tsunade tries to think or something that she could do to help the boy, but her instincts are telling her not to believe him. "This is like removing the essence of your being and giving it a cleaning, then putting it back again. It just doesn't happen. You would die if such a thing was to be attempted."

"At this point Tsunade-sama . . . I have learned to accept the thought of my death. I wish for it actually, anything to rid myself of the hell that is my own mind and soul, and more importantly, to keep this beast from ever manifesting in this realm or any realm ever again."

"And if I say no to your request for help? What happens then?" Tsunade asks, looking sceptical at the tired and saddened Toshida.

"In that case, I will be forced to fight you." Toshida responds.

"You cannot win against me." Tsunade says. She then looks curiously as Toshida's expression does not change. "But you realize that already . . . don't you?"

"Yes Tsunade-sama. I cannot win against you. That is what I was hoping for. If I was to be attacked or fatally injured, the dragon would begin to take over when I have lost consciousness, and it would fight in my stead. When that happens . . . people usually die, and I wake up with another face stuck in my mind, and more memories haunting my dreams."

"The cycle must end Tsunade-sama. You are supposed to be the strongest shinobi in the strongest village in the five countries. If I were to fight you, I would certainly lose . . . and then you would fight the dragon's spirit using my body as its vessel. With any hope, you would kill me, and the dragon's spirit would have no container and it's spirit would eventually dissipate, killing it completely. My suffering would be ended, and the threat of the beast returning to life would be ended."

Tsunade begins to think to herself as to whether or not this boy could be telling the truth or not. "His eyes are genuine. But this story is ridiculous, I cannot believe it. But why would he just let me go like this? He could have killed me when I was subdued. If he is not telling the truth, what could his real motives be?"

Back in her hotel room Tsunade begins to second guess herself. _"Maybe I should have taken him at his word. There is no other real explanation_ _how strong he was back in the forest." _Tsunade remembers Toshida's frightening strength back in the forest, when Toshida single handedly took out Shikamaru and Sakura with no difficulty at all. Tsunade then remembers the face to face confrontation that Toshida had with Naruto.

"_And how could he possibly have known about the nine-tails? His eyes were so focussed in on Naruto_, _it was as if he and Naruto had some deep history, and the two hated each other. But Naruto doesn't even know who this man is."_

Suddenly Tsunade is hit with an epiphany, as everything that is happening as finally fallen into place. "He was telling the truth! The nine-tails! It must be from the same realm as the dragon. That is how Toshida knows Naruto, he doesn't know him at all, it's the dragon that knows the nine-tails!"

For the rest of the night, Tsunade finds herself unable to sleep soundly, as the events of the day have taken its toll upon her. Perhaps being abducted, learning about an ancient evil that only she may be able to stop and the injuries to her shinobi, would cause her to be a little on edge.

Meanwhile, in his hotel room, Naruto finds himself unable to sleep soundly as his dreams are haunted by his confrontation with Toshida. He has a dream that he is once again face to face with Toshida and no matter how hard he tries to fight, nothing can harm the enigmatic shinobi.

Naruto asks himself in his own mind, _"Who is he? Why do I know him? And why do I hate him so much?"_

Before Naruto can even attempt to answer his own question, he finds himself in a dark hallway. The hallway's walls are a dark golden colour, and seem to be covered in shadows wherever he turns. He is frightened by the dark and dreary place that at the time seems so alien to him. However, deep down Naruto knows where he is, but does not know why he is there.

Inside his dream, Naruto speaks out loud,_ "All right you damn fox, where are you and what do you want? Why have you called me here?_"

Naruto gets no answer from the seemingly endless darkness. Naruto wanders throughout all of the corridors and hallways that make up the metaphorical manifestation of is own psyche. It seems like hours as Naruto knows what he is looking for, but cannot seem to locate it.

He says out loud again, _"Stop screwing with me fox! I know you are down here, now tell me where you are!" _Naruto shouts as he walks down a seemingly infinite hallway that leads only to more darkness.

Suddenly, Naruto can hear an echoing laughter coming from the darkness. The laugh is evil. Sending shivers up Naruto's spine. The laughter is quiet, but it echoes with a deep, bass filled voice. No matter how many times Naruto hears that voice, it still frightens him, although he shows no sign of fear in his eyes and on his face.

Without warning, Naruto finds himself in a large open room with walls that seem to go on for miles. Behind him is the hallway in which he came, and in front of him, stands an enormous golden gate, locked by sealing jutsu that almost no one can penetrate. Then from behind the gate, two enormous red eyes appear before Naruto and the sinister grin of the nine-tailed fox can be seen staring back at Naruto.

Naruto stands his ground and shows no fear in front of the beast, _"Why have you called me here?"_

At first the fox does not answer and simple stares at Naruto, laughing silently to itself. However, when Naruto shows no signs of intimidation, the fox answers.

"_**I didn't** **have to call you here. I simply opened the door to answer some of your questions. It has been a long time hasn't it boy, since you last visited me in this place? You steal some of my power whenever it suits you, but you never think to drop by and say hello."**_

"_SHUT UP FOX! I WANT ANSWERS ALL RIGHT. I WANT TO KNOW WHY YOU CALLED ME DOWN HERE. NOW ANSWER ME!"_

The fox laughs loudly as Naruto's actions have come to be expected. **_"Still as impatient as always aren't you? I told you already. I did not have to call you down here. YOU were the one that wanted to talk to me. However, you still get afraid when you have to come down here don't you?"_**

"_I do not! Now shut up and tell me what you want, or let me get back to my regular dreams."_

"_**I know you just as well as you know yourself kid. You hate coming down here. You hate acknowledging that I am a part of you. Any time you come to this place, or even steal some of my power, it scares you. The dark hallways, the golden gates, the silence and the sound of dripping water, it all disturbs you to no end, and gives you shivers right down to the bone doesn't it?"**_

Naruto wants to object to the beast's claim, but finds himself unable to find the words. Naruto knows that the fox speaks the truth. No matter how much Naruto tries to come to terms with the monster inside him. All the years he spent feeling lonely and all the times he went unacknowledged, he has come to almost instinctively blame on the beast inside him.

The nine-tails laughs at Naruto briefly but quiets down after a few seconds. **_"You wanted to ask me about the man you met today. You wanted to ask me where WE know him from, am I right?"_**

"_Y-yes. That's right. Who is he? And why does he seem so familiar to me?"_

"_**It is not you that finds him familiar. It is I. I recognized him as soon as I felt his presence, when you two crossed each others paths in the hallway back at the arena. And it was not the man that I recognized, but the beast inside of him."**_

"_The beast inside of him? What do you mean, a beast? You mean like you?"_

"_**Yes, just like me. That kid holds the spirit of another demon from the same realm as me. In fact it was I that sent that beast spirit to this realm."**_

"_What do you mean? How did you do that?"_

"_**The beast inside the boy is the spirit of an incredibly powerful dragon, a beast that even rivals me in power. The dragon and I were bitter enemies for countless centuries. Whenever we met, the two of us would fight to a stalemate, but not until each of us had suffered greatly at each others hand. That beast almost killed me on several occasions."**_

"_Enough of the trip down memory lane, tell me why this thing is in that guy!"_

"_**You cannot just sit still and shut up for ten seconds can you? One day during another of our fights, I tricked the dragon into launching one of his own attacks against himself. The attack nearly killed him. I used the opportunity to banish the dragon from our realm and into this one.** **That way, I would never have to worry about him again."**_

"_**In his weakened state, the dragon was hunted by shinobi from many different countries in an effort to prevent the beast from harming anyone. They destroyed the beasts body and its spirit was trapped in this realm unable to leave. And he remained trapped in the same place where its body was destroyed . . ."**_

When the dawn comes, the scene turns to the camp grounds where the sin shinobi have spent the night. Keinea awakes from his sleep to see his brother standing at the shoreline watching the sun come up from just over the horizon of the east bank. Keinea starts getting dressed while walking over to meet with his stoic brother.

Toshida stands facing the water and the sun rise with his coat draped over his shoulders, blowing in the wind like a long black cape toward the west. His hair remains down and below his shoulders blowing in the same direction. He holds the sheath that holds his sword and flute in his left hand, and his right hand remains dangling at his side. He quickly notices his brothers' presence without ever turning to look at him, or moving his eyes toward him.

"I see you are finally up." Toshida says to his younger brother.

"The dawn is just beginning and the other two are still asleep, if you wanted me up earlier you needed only to wake me and I would be ready to go." Keinea responds remaining calm while taking the defensive.

"It's all right Keinea. Today will be a long day, and I want all of you to be well rested before we set out."

Keinea has a look of concern on his face as he notices that his brother has bags under his eyes and looks to be very weak and exhausted. "You didn't sleep again did you?"

Toshida shakes his head as his only response.

"I understand that it is a tough brother, but if need be you can ask Maea to prepare you a sedative. At least you will have some form of rest. You are no good to us if you are exhausted."

"Hmpf, you worry too much brother." Toshida smiles at his younger brothers caring attitude, _"It should be the older brother who looks after his younger sibling, not the other way around." _

"Regardless brother, wake Maea and Toragai while I get the boat ready. We must set off as soon as possible. We must reach our destination before nightfall or we will be at a disadvantage."

"I understand brother. But, where is it that we are going?"

"You will find out when we get there my old friend. We will plan our attack when we get there and not a minute before. I just ask that you trust me."

"You never have to question my trust in you brother. It has been and will always be absolute."

Toshida turns around and faces his brother. He puts his hand on his brothers' shoulder and looks his straight in the eyes and smiles. "Thank you brother. Now go! Wake the other two and let's get a move on."

Thirty minutes later, the four shinobi boards the small boat and paddle their way toward the shores of the fire country. After several hours, they arrive at the shore and hide their boat in a series of bushes a few metres from the shoreline. The four then continue to make their way quickly through the forests of the fire country headed Northwest.

Meanwhile, several hours have passed back in the wave country and the shinobi of the leaf village ready their caravan to return to the leaf village. Ino and Shino are set in the back of a carriage that is pulled by a set of horses. The rest of the group, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Shizune, Naruto, Sakura, Chouji, Neji and all of the ANBU guards follow suit and make their way through the trails of the wave country and over the bridge on their way back home.

On the way home Naruto cannot shake the feeling that something strange is going on around him. The confrontation with Toshida has him shaken and confused and he feels as if Toshida may hold the secret to learning more about himself.

However, the words from the nine-tails disturbed him even more . . . **_"its spirit was trapped in this realm unable to leave. And he remained trapped in the same place where its body was destroyed . . ." _**the frightening fox said to Naruto earlier when he was sleeping, and Naruto awoken suddenly after hearing the rest.

"_**. . . an area which is now part of the thunder country. An area I believe has been called, The Village of Sin."**_

Several more hours have passed since then, and the scene changes to the four sin shinobi standing on a large cliff side all staring off in the same direction. A faint smile is across all of their faces as the wind blows in their faces.

Toshida's coat blows in the wind like an enigmatic cape yet again as he reaches behind his head and begins tying his hair back into the large thick braid he is used to. As he finishes tying the braid, he reaches over his shoulder and reveals the large black rice hat he wore when he first arrived at the wave country tournament. He places the hat on his head and turns to his teammates as they continue looking off into the distance.

"It sure is a beautiful place, isn't it?" Toshida asks his teammates.

It then becomes evident as to where the Sin shinobi are, as the view of the cliff side that holds the visages of the previous Hokage's. Toshida turns his view from that of his teammates, to the sin shinobi's target . . . the leaf village.

"Well then . . . let's begin."


	11. Infiltrate the Leaf Village

_**Chapter 11: Infiltrate the Leaf Village**_

The village of the hidden leaf has not changed much in the last year. Things have begun to return to normal, with all shinobi performing regular missions, all shopkeepers and residents going about their daily lives and young shinobi beginning their training under the watchful eyes of shinobi like Umino Iruka.

Iruka sits at his desk in a large classroom at the front of the class. All of the academy's students remain on a break for lunch. Iruka is marking papers on the latest pop quiz for the class entitled, "Shuriken Physics." As Iruka continues checking the angles the students have drawn, and correcting the mathematics, he looks up to the clock on the left side of the room.

"_Hmm 12:30pm already. I guess it should be about time to bring the children back in."_

Iruka rises from his chair and hollers out the window to the students outside.

"All-right guys it's time to get back to work!" Iruka says, receiving a loud chorus of moans and groans from his students.

One thing that has changed in the village, is the rock face that bares the visages of the previous Hokages. Tsunade's image has begun to be mapped out on the rock face. Construction has not started, but stencils and markers have been placed all across the mountain side in preparation for the new monument.

Things remain the same at the Ichiraku Ramen stand as well. Business goes on as usual, but things have seemed a little less interesting ever since Naruto left the village however. Iruka still visits the shop regularly, but even he seems a little less lively now that he does not get to have his regular conversations with Naruto. To Iruka, it was the closest thing he had ever had to having a father-son relationship. He has taught many students over the years, but only Naruto felt like family.

Along the border walls of the leaf village, the trees are blowing in the cool summer breeze and the fire country is showing off some of its true beauty. The gates to the leaf village are guarded by two guards on each side. Along the wall security is tight both at its base and on top at the numerous guard stations. At the southern end of the leaf village there is a smaller opening guarded by three guards at a small booth. The three guards are discussing amongst themselves as to when the next chuunin exam will be called.

"I am telling you, as soon as the 5th returns home she is going to call for a chuunin exam."

"I agree. With all the fights that probably took place at that tournament for our team, there is no doubt that someone has impressed the Hokage. And now she is going to want to see how the rest of the genin are doing."

"Are you guys both for real? There has not been a chuunin exam called since the 5th took office. The village's resources have been too busy as of late, and there is too much distrust amongst many of the countries after the whole sound and sand village attack, that none of the countries really want to associate with one another. The tournament they just had in the wave country took place between three countries and villages that have economic connections now. None of the other countries would risk travelling to another country to take the chuunin exam. Until that trust is back, the genin are just going to have to get tougher and show off more often."

The three continue bickering amongst one another swaying tree's cast shadows across the ground and the village walls. As the guards turn to one another to continue their arguing, they fail to notice a section of the shadow that is noticeably darker then the rest. The shadow is not like the rest of those cast by the trees. When the wind blows the tree's and the shadows move, the dark section remains stationary. Silent voices can be heard in the shadow. The voices are those of the hiding sin shinobi.

"What are we waiting for? Let's just take them out now and move to our objective!" An impatient Toragai mumbles to his teammates.

"We wait Toragai. We do not want to risk being seen, the last thing we need is a confrontation." Says Toshida.

"Brother is right Toragai. We want to slip by their security unnoticed, not attack them when they are least expecting it."

"But we have been sitting here waiting for almost half an hour now! I want to get out of this shadow. It's just too creepy."

"Half an hour?" Replies Keinea, "Thirty minutes is nothing. Once, when I was on a reconnaissance mission to steal a scroll from a thunder country bureaucrat, I used this technique and almost got caught while waiting in his bedroom. He returned home early and went straight to bed and I had to remain on in a shadow tunnel on his ceiling staring directly down at him for almost sixteen hours. So trust me, half an hour is nothing."

The guards then all turn their backs to the sin shinobi's shadow tunnel and continue bickering at one another. Toshida seizing the opportunity, leaps quickly from the shadow, across the dirt road path and into an adjacent shadow just behind the guards.

"Dammit! That was a little sudden, don't you think?" Says an angry Maea. "Don't tell me we are going to have to go one at a time."

Keinea responds, "That can't happen anyway. Using the shadow walking technique requires a lot of chakra, and anyone that is in one of the tunnels must be brought into the tunnel by a shadow walker. You guys can leave this shadow whenever you want, but you would have no concealment from those guards. Brother knows this technique as well, which is why he was able to travel freely from shadow to shadow."

Toragai remains impatient and now a bit confused, "How is it that Toshida knows that technique as well?"

"It was taught to them by their father Toragai. Keinea told me that awhile ago."

"That's correct Maea. But something is concerning me. Kage Sonsaku (shadow walking) uses a lot of chakra. If brother uses too much chakra then he will need us to seal him again, or the dragon will simply wake up. Since that is the case, why is he risking using the technique just to complete this mission a little faster?"

"I don't know now that you mention it." Responds Maea. "I guess that getting a hold of _"it" _must be very important. But I personally can't see why."

"Now is our chance! Hold on to my hands!"

Keinea then leaps from the shadows with Toragai and Maea holding onto his hands. The three land in the same shadow as Toshida without making so much as a whisper, and the sin shinobi move into the leaf village unnoticed by the security.

The shinobi make their way quickly through most of the village, jumping from shadow to shadow at strategic points and in perfect timing. They make their way through the first half of the village moving from ground level, to roof tops, to under vendor outlets and finally stopping outside a bar in the centre of the village. The shinobi have stopped as a man leaving the bar turned toward them while they were still hiding in the shadows. The man examined the shadow briefly before turning around and going on his way.

Before the man leaves the shadow however, the four shinobi travel from the buildings shadow into the shadow of the man leaving the bar.

"This is perfect!" Says Keinea to his teammates. "We can move along from shadow to shadow of anyone that this guy passes. If we play our cards right, we will be able to move much easier throughout the village."

Keinea's plan comes to fruition as the man has walked into the downtown corridor at ten minutes till two o clock. The angle of the sun in conjunction with the mountains, the villagers and the buildings, has created an elaborate maze in which the shinobi are able to move freely.

The shinobi find themselves piggybacking their way to just outside the Ichiraku ramen shop. As they move into the shadow that the shop had created the find themselves grinding to a halt as a chuunin level shinobi walks by and takes a seat in the ramen shop.

"Good afternoon!" The shinobi says to the shop owner. "How are you doing today?"

"Oh hello Iruka! Will it just be your usual today?"

"Yea definitely. The students finished all of their drills and exercises early today so I gave them the rest of the day off. So I thought I would come by and get a bite to eat."

"Excellent Iruka. It is good to see that you are still working hard." The ramen shop owner then takes a more serious tone as he turns around to address Iruka. "Say Iruka, have you heard anything from Naruto lately?"

Iruka takes a solemn disposition as he shakes his head sideways, "Unfortunately no. I haven't heard anything from him since he left the village over a year ago. I certainly hope that he is doing ok."

The shop owner turns back to finish Iruka's order, but Iruka himself has noticed something odd. He looks out from the corner of his eye and notices the ominous dark shadow just outside of the ramen shop.

"_It isn't dark enough outside to produce a shadow that dark. What is that? Also, the shadow being cast is from the tarp on the front of the shop. It isn't thick enough to cause a shadow that dark. Hmm, I wonder."_

Iruka then stretches his arms out and lets out a fake yawn. He leans back on his stool and just brushes the tarp that hangs over the front of the ramen shop. As the tarp moves, its shadow moves slightly across the ground, but the dark spot Iruka noticed does not move at all.

Before Iruka can investigate any further the shop keeper finishes Iruka's order and places it in front of him. "Here you go, Iruka!"

"Ah, thank you very much." Iruka says as he separates his chopsticks and looks back behind him to notice that the mysterious shadow has disappeared.

"_I don't know what that was, but I had better report it." _As the ramen shop owner looks at Iruka peculiarly, Iruka returns his attention to his meal.

"ITADAKIMASU!" (Time to Eat)

As Iruka eats, the sin shinobi are moving progressively further into the leaf village. The shinobi continue leaping from shadow to shadow, and transferring from person to person. After another few minutes of travelling, the shinobi stop just behind a building facing the Hokage mountain.

"There is our target" Toshida says, "The Hokage building!"

"What? Are you insane?" Questions Toragai, "that has to be the most heavily guarded building in the entire village and our target is in there?"

"Yes it is." Toshida says, "There is a document in that building that I must obtain."

Keinea questions his brothers actions, as even he is sceptical of this mission, "Brother, what could be so valuable in that building? What do you need from there?"

"When I met with that boy back in the forest, something was brought to me attention. It may hold the key to my emancipation."

The sin shinobi then make their way toward to an entryway to the Hokage's building. The shinobi move silently throughout the shadow making no more noise then a light gust of wind moving through the hallways. However, as they move through the hallways they notice that there are no guards. In fact, there is no one at all moving throughout the building. None of the Hokage's aid's are around, and there are no villagers making use of the libraries.

"Something is not right here." Toshida says to his teammates. "Why is this place empty?"

"Well the Hokage is not in the village, so maybe the building is closed to visitors." Maea suggests.

Toragai adds, "Or maybe she gave her aids some time off."

"I don't know what is going on here but something is not right." Keinea says, agreeing with his brother.

"Nevertheless brother, we need it, and I will not leave her empty handed." Toshida then leaves the confines of the shadow tunnel and looks around both corners. "All right, we must split up. If you are discovered, incapacitate but do not kill. As soon as you are noticed, rendezvous back here and we will leave as quickly as possible."

The four shinobi then split up and move to different areas of the building, searching from room to room, emptying desks and ruffling through the massive libraries. Still, there is no one left in the building to be found.

"_I don't like this at all." _Toshida thinks to himself as he continues searching through every room that he passes. _"This all seems too convenient. There is no reason that this building should be empty." _

As Toshida passes by an empty corridor he is unaware that an ominous figure has been watching him. The figure remains unseen to Toshida as the silhouette clutches a communication device strapped around the figure's voice box.

"First one is in the east hallway on the 3rd floor heading up to the 4th via the east stairwell. Request instructions."

A familiar voice comes over the audio communication to respond to the figure's request. _"Continue with your surveillance. Whatever you do, do not get caught. Watch and observe but do not engage. If we are forced to engage, then this will make for an excellent test for our team. Report back again in two minutes, or until there is a new development. Until then, maintain radio silence."_

The figure responds, "Roger that Sensei. Continuing with surveillance. Unit 5 out."

The figure then follows Toshida as he moves up the stairs. The figure moves like a spider, walking along the walls and the ceiling, keeping a low profile and going to great lengths to avoid being caught. However, Toshida is aware of the figures presence. Toshida does everything possible to keep from acknowledging the dark figure.

"_Just great. I knew it was too good to be true. It doesn't matter though. I will not be denied this day. If I have to slaughter this nosey little man to do so, then so be it." _

Toshida arrives in the Hokage's office and he heads directly for her file cabinets and library stacks. The mysterious figure remains outside of the office and reports back to his superiors.

"The target has moved into the Hokage's office and is searching through her files. Request permission to intervene."

The radio responds, _"Permission denied. Do not engage the target, stand back and observe."_

The shadowy figure regretfully responds and follows orders, "Roger, I will not engage." As the figure peers into the Hokage's office he notices that Toshida is missing.

"_Wh-what! Where could he have gone?" _The figure asks himself, as he moves into the Hokage's office, still seeing no sign of the sin shinobi. The figure then moves further into the office and the light reveals his full appearance.

He is a leaf village shinobi. His face is masked and covered from his neck to his nose. He wears a communication device around his throat and a hood over his head accented with a leaf village head protector. His eyes cannot be seen through thick goggles that mirror whatever it is that he is looking at. The shinobi does a brief scan of the room and still cannot see Toshida, or where he may have gone to.

The shinobi then informs his superiors"Unit 5 reporting, the target has disappeared, repeat I cannot located the target." The shinobi begins walking backward toward the doorway, "Request instructions."

Before the shinobi's superiors can respond, the shinobi turns around only to see Toshida hanging upside down from just outside the doorway. The shinobi is caught by surprise as Toshida grabs the top of the door frame and swings backward from the roof, thrust his legs out toward the shinobi striking him in the chest with a thunderous mule kick that sends the shinobi hurdling through the air and toppling over the Hokage's desk.

Toshida then uses his legs and manages to briefly spin in a counter clockwise rotation, and his momentum allows him to quickly spring to his feet ready to make a follow up attack. Before the dazed shinobi can readily defend himself, he looks up to see Toshida with his sword drawn and pointed directly under the shinobi's chin. Toshida turns the sharp end of the blade upward, slightly cutting the shinobi under the chin and forcing him to rise to his feet. Toshida then positions himself and his sword so that the very tip of the blade is just under the shinobi's chin. Toshida inches himself to just a few inches from the shinobi's face as he takes a few seconds to examine the shinobi's goggles and mask.

"Who are you?" Toshida asks the frightened shinobi. "I know why you are following me considering it is I who should explain what I am doing here. But take off that mask and let me look into your eyes."

The shinobi lets out an unamused sigh, as he quickly vanishes in a puff of smoke leaving only a set of rocks and logs in his stead. Toshida however does not fall for the body switching technique and hurls a kunai directly behind him and toward the fleeing shinobi. The kunai grazes the shinobi's right tricep sending a splash of blood against the wall of the corridor. The shinobi grimaces briefly in pain as he sprints at high speed toward the window at the end of the hallway.

"Don't think you are getting away that easily, you nosey little bastard!" Toshida sprints after the shinobi at high speed to no avail.

The shinobi leaps out through the window and lands against the wall of the Hokages building. The shinobi runs down the wall toward the ground where he is met by two other shinobi in the same outfits. The three then move off in the same direction at high speed, and Toshida realizes that the village will soon be aware of his team's presence.

"Oh just great! KEINEA!" Toshida hollers into the empty hallways. As his voice echoes he warns his team of the current events. "ABORT! We gotta move out. Let's go, Hurry!"

Toshida moves so fast through the hallways and down the stairs that one would think he was never touching the ground. He runs into Toragai along the way and simply waves at him to follow. Toragai does not question and he follows Toshida through the hallways.

"We have to find my brother and Maea. We're pulling out! Our cover has been blown."

"What do you mean our cover has been blown?"

"We were set up. Somehow the shinobi of this village knew where our target was. They sent spies to follow us. We have to try and leave as quickly as possible. If we don't, then we will be taken prisoner. Where was Maea when you last saw her?"

"She was just around this corner in the library."

The two shinobi enter the library to find Maea searching through countless scrolls and books, looking desperately for the document that the shinobi seek. She notices the other two entering the room and seeming slightly short of breath. She knows immediately what this means and follows her comrades out of the room.

Meanwhile, Keinea is searching through a hallway on the 2nd floor. He comes to a metal door that is locked with a special seal. The door is silver but holds a red kanji symbol that represents the fire country and the Hokage. Keinea tries to find a weak spot in the door but finds that it is sealed rather tight. There is a small amount of light coming out from under the door, most likely caused by a window on the other side of the door. Keinea carefully positions himself at an angle facing the door and makes his patented hand seal, the symbol of the horse only with thumbs perpendicular and connected.

"**_Kage Sonsaku!" (Shadow Walking) _**Keinea then disappears into the shadows and moves cautiously under the door and into the room behind the metal door. He emerges from the shadow and finds that the room is filled with large scrolls.

"Wow! There is a lot of information in this room." Keinea says out loud, "It may take some time to find what we need."

Keinea begins searching through the scrolls to find out which one it is that he has been ordered to retrieve. He notices one large scroll that stands almost four feet tall and is massive in its thickness. As Keinea examines it, he notices the writing along the side of the massive scroll. It reads, "The Hokage's Scroll of Forbidden Seals." Keinea thinks to himself of the possibilities that may reside in the scroll, but after a few seconds he tosses the scroll aside to search for his real target.

His attention is then drawn to another very large scroll that sits on the third shelf from the top. Keinea reaches up and grabs the large scroll that is even larger then the one he just had. He looks to the shelves and notices that the top shelf is marked with a label that says "first." The second shelf from the top has the same, although it reads "second."

Keinea turns the scroll over and notices the same kanji written on the giant scroll that is written on the third shelf from the top. "Yes! This has got to be it. All right time to go." Keinea says to himself as he straps the scroll to his back and re-enters the shadows and leaving the room.

As he emerges from the shadows, he notices his teammates running toward him at high speed. Keinea knows just as Maea knew, that they have been discovered.

"Oh shit!" Keinea yells aloud. He joins his teammates who then make a hasty retreat from the building.

As they make their way out of the building they are stopped dead in their tracks as they are surrounded on all sides by an army of ANBU guards. The special operatives are positioned in a semicircle around the doorway of the building and even above the fleeing shinobi, perched high on the building walls.

"Well this is just great!" Toragai curses to himself and his teammates, "Toshida, how many do you count?"

Toshida responds, "Twenty. Twelve of them ANBU."

Toshida gets confused looks from his teammates as they can only see the twelve ANBU guards. Maea is the first to point it out to Toshida, "I only see twelve. What are you talking about?"

Before Toshida can respond a large puff of smoke appears just in front of the sin shinobi, sending dust, sand and leaves into the air and toward the shinobi. As his teammates cover their faces from the wind and sand, Toshida maintains a focussed look on their current roadblock. When the dust settles, another eight shinobi have appeared in front of them, all of them wearing the same outfit as the shinobi that was spying on Toshida. All of the shinobi wear black outfits that cover them from head to toe, with the exception of a white band around their left arms that contain the letters "S.I.C.T." written in red. They are also armed with a set of razor like claws that stick out roughly eight inches and are strapped to the wrists of each their arms, making for an even deadlier strike with every punch thrown.

"Sorry, make that two more." Toshida says as he looks to the trees to the left of the mysterious shinobi, and a building top to the right of the shinobi. "I believe those two would be the men in charge."

Toshida's attention is fixed on the two shinobi observing the actions of the strange shinobi. The one that stands perched in the tree communicates to his team through the communication devices they all were.

"_Get them to relinquish the scrolls peacefully, or take them by force._ _Either way, do not let them get away."_

The message is then referred to the sin shinobi by a tall member of the strange new shinobi group. "Give up the scroll peacefully or it will be taken by force."

Toshida thinks to himself about the futility of trying to resist against these numbers. _"Judging from the size of these shinobi, they are all either at chuunin or jounin level. Twenty high level ninjas' against the four of us. This is not good at all. What are we going to do?"_

Toshida does what he can to figure out an escape route away from all the menacing shinobi. The only escape route appears to be using the shadow walking technique to move under the shinobi. However, with all of the chuunin and jounin level shinobi, successfully leaving the village or even leaving the confining circle of ninjas would prove futile.

"_Dammit, we don't have a choice. We have to give up. I won't risk their lives any more today."_

Toshida turns to his younger brother as he swallows his pride, "Give them the scroll Keinea. We will work this out later, but for now I want all of your safety insured."

Keinea looks to the scroll and contemplates giving it up. He struggles with his own conscience and quickly comes to a conclusion. "No!"

Toshida and the rest of his teammates look on in shock as Keinea unstraps the scroll from his back. Toshida begins to get angry with his brother's defiance and is sure to tell him.

"Brother I wasn't asking you. I was ordering you. Give them the scroll!"

"And I told you, no! This scroll may hold the key to your release, and if that is the case then I will die before I give it up!"

Toshida moves closer to his brother to continue to conversation at a whisper. "Brother, you do not have to do this. We will think of something else. Besides, you made a promise to me remember? You gave your word, and I will not let you go back on it."

"I remember brother, but please, I want nothing more then to see you cured. If I take them all on, I may be able to hold them off for a few seconds. It isn't much but it may give you time to get a head start and maybe you guys can escape with the scroll."

"Brother don't be stupid! You would not even last a second against these odds. So shut up, give me the scroll and be patient."

As Keinea readies his response a voice comes from the tree as the leader of this new team speaks directly to Toshida.

"I am afraid your little squabble will have to wait until later. None of you are going anywhere." The shinobi leaps from the tree and lands several metres from Toshida and his team. The shinobi wears a mask similar to the ones that the strange shinobi sect wore. One of his eyes is covered by his leaf village head protector and he holds a novel with a red cover in his left hand. He places the novel back in his back pocket and then addresses the sin shinobi.

"You have stolen something that belongs to our village. If you do not give it up willingly then you will have to defeat us to leave here with it." The shinobi raises his head protector off of his left eye and reveals the signature sharingan eye made famous by members of the Uchiha clan, and a talented leaf jounin by the name of Hatake Kakashi.

"This is turning out to be fairly interesting. So why don't you help us test out one of our shinobi?"

"Who are you guys? I have heard of the legendary "Copy Ninja" Kakashi, but I have never heard of your little group. Who are you?"

"First of all, you are in no position to ask questions. But since you have proven to be a strong shinobi, I will answer your question. This is the S.I.C.T. team that is all you need to know. Now, you have proven that you all indeed have talent, and I am curious to see how far along our team has come. So I offer a challenge, you pick one member from your team to face off against one member from our team. If you win, then you can pick one of your members to go free. If you lose, then you all will be taken as prisoners. The choice is yours.

"And how do I know if you are telling the truth or not? A real shinobi would never offer such a challenge. You are just interested in testing out your team and you wish to use us as guinea pigs."

"Hmm. That's right." Responds the playful yet serious Kakashi. But what have you got to lose?"

"Hmpf, I guess you're right." Toshida says, as he removes his hat and trench coat. He reaches back and removes his sword from its sheath. "Then it will be I who will take on your challenge."

Kakashi then looks amongst his ranks to find a suitable opponent for the dangerous sin shinobi. All of the shinobi remain stoic as no one volunteers, willing to let their Sensei decide who will fight the thief. The only shinobi who seems to be volunteering is the shortest of the group. He stands roughly feet tall and wears the same outfit as everyone else.

Kakashi thinks to himself, _"Oh great. I will never hear the end of it from "him" if he gets hurt." _Kakashi points to the volunteering ninja and gestures him to face of with Toshida. "All-right Unit 6, you're up."

The shinobi jumps high into the air and lands several metres in front of Toshida. The shinobi then looks to the claws that he and all the other SICT team members possess, and he quickly strips them off surprising Toshida. He then takes his offensive stance and readies to start the battle. Toshida nods at the shinobi's actions and returns his sword to its sheath, and throws the sheath to Toragai.

Toshida then takes a stance very similar to the one that Keinea took in his fight with Tenge. His left arm is stretched out facing his opponent with his thumb and ring fingers touched together and the other three fingers pointed toward the SICT member. His knees are bent, and his right hand sits parallel against his hip with his fingers curled ready for a strike.

After adjusting the direction that the fingers are pointing he thinks to himself, _"His right arm is the strong one, he puts most of his weight on his left leg, and his line of sight dictates he is going to come in low and strike. 98, 34, and 48, very well, defensive pattern lambda."_

After properly adjusting his stance, Toshida stares into the goggles of the SICT shinobi with the determined yet stoic look that has become his trademark. "All right then leaf shinobi . . . LET'S GO!"


	12. When the Seals Weaken

_**Chapter 12: When the Seals Weaken**_

_(Authors Note: Starting in this chapter, I will be using recommended audio tracks that can be played to get a better feeling of what I had envisioned in the particular scenesThe notes will be signified by an asterisk and track name. For some scenes, it may become necessary to describe the actual times in the particular song that I had pictured for the scene.)_

_(Queue: Nightwish - Dark Chest of Wonders)_

The two shinobi begin readying themselves for their initial charge against one another, neither shinobi showing a slightest intimidation in front of the other. Both shinobi then immediately charge at one another with a blinding speed rarely shown by even the fastest of shinobi. As the two shinobi connect with one another in the centre of the makeshift ring created by the surrounding ANBU and SICT members, dust flies from all angles and the two shinobi become lost in the cloud or swirling air and dirt. Only brief flashes of the two shinobi can be seen, by the spectators through the thick cloud that has now become a swirling cyclone in front of them.

Suddenly, both shinobi come rocketing out of the top of dust cloud, rising high into the air as if launched by some massive catapult. Both fighters trying to out do the other by rising higher and faster then the other, racing toward the sky. As both competitors reach the apex of their ascent, the exchange a flurry of punches and kicks as they become inverted, and begin plummeting down toward the earth again.

The two emerge from the newly formed crater in the centre of the confined area exchanging a series of fast punches. Each shinobi connect with each others fists directly against one another, leaving a loud resonating sound of bone hitting bone echoing through the area. The masked shinobi, favours using his right arm for heavy right hook punches, all of which are being easily deflected by Toshida, whose fighting style emphasizes finesse with an open handed fighting style.

The exchange continues for several minutes, neither fighter getting the upper hand on the other, the masked fighter continues with right and left hooks, while Toshida blocks with open hands and strikes with an open fist.

"_Hmpf, I was never even close to imitating Toshida's fighting style." _A nervous Keinea thinks to himself as he watches the two fighters with a vigilant look. _"He truly is the master of the open fist fighting style."_

Back at the fight, Toshida is the first to make a decisive strike against his opponent. "EAT THIS!" Toshida screams as he sends the shinobi airborne with a strong palm strike to the masked shinobi's stomach.

The SICT team member recovers quickly, back flipping in mid air and landing on his feet. The shinobi wastes no time as he launches himself at Toshida yet again. He moves so fast that Toshida is barely able to defend himself as the shinobi strikes from just under his line of view, sending Toshida into the air with a well-placed kick just under the jaw.

As Toshida flies into the air he cannot help but smirk, as a worthy opponent has come his way. He then notices the masked shinobi appear directly behind him, using the leaf shadow dance to remain out of Toshida's view. As the masked shinobi brings his arm about to strike Toshida, Toshida spins around quickly in mid air and blocks the shinobi's attack with the palm of his hand. The two get thrown off balance and come crashing into the ground, tumbling across the dirt as their momentum wears off.

Neither shinobi is willing to let the other follow up with an attack, and both fighters kick up to their feet almost as fast as they had fallen. The masked fighter kicks off using his left leg, and he once again charges toward Toshida. Toshida readies himself in the open fist pose, and immediately is able to predict where the masked shinobi will strike. Sure enough, Toshida raises his left arm and is able to counter the incoming right hook. As Toshida catches the strike in the centre of his palm, the masked fighter does not notice as Toshida has unleashed his own right-handed strike. An open-handed right hook hammers the masked shinobi across the face, knocking the shinobi to the ground.

The masked fighter begins to question how it is that Toshida is able to match his every move. _"This doesn't make sense. How does he know where I am going to strike? I don't understand. Well, I guess I just have to move faster."_

The masked shinobi then raises both of his forearms in front of his face in an X. Before Toshida can try to analyse the shinobi's actions, the fighter disappears. Toshida is alarmed by the disappearance but soon is sent hurdling forward to the ground, where he then skids along the dirt face first.

"_Holy shit, that was fast_!" Toshida says to himself, _"I didn't even have the chance to feel his presence behind me. This kid is good."_

The masked fighter has taken roughly twenty metres from Toshida. He stands with his back straight and his left arm extended with his hand up in front of him. He gestures Toshida to attack him, and before Toshida can accept the offer, the fighter again disappears and reappears behind Toshida.

Toshida is aware of the shinobi's presence this time and he spins around with lightning speed, deflecting the shinobi's punch with a quick spin kick. The fighter loses his balance and begins to stagger forward, allowing Toshida to follow up on his own momentum, striking the fighter in the back of the head with an airborne front kick. The fighter is sent to the ground yet again but stops himself before skidding along the ground. He recovers quickly and charges at Toshida yet again. Toshida instead of charging, begins to run away from the shinobi.

The two shinobi then end up running through the forest side by side with all of the SICT and ANBU guards following in their wake. The two approach the trunk of a very large and thick tree. The two run up along the tree side by side, neither wanting to fall behind the other and risk being the victim of the next onslaught, as the two reach the top, Toshida stops in his tracks allowing the other fighter the fly off the tree and into the open air. Toshida leaps off the tree into the open, creating a perfect line of sight between himself and the mysterious fighter.

Toshida slams his hands together in the seal of the tiger, readying himself to start a jutsu. "I've got you now." Toshida says silently under his breath.

Keinea, who remains cornered by several ANBU guards watches his brother's actions in horror, as Toshida's next move may prove too reckless for his own good. "STOP IT BROTHER! DO NOT USE ANY OF YOUR TECHNIQUES! WE CAN'T AFFORD THE DRAGON WAKING UP!"

A few feet away from Keinea stands Kakashi, who has become confused at the sin shinobi's words. _"Wake up the dragon?" _Kakashi looks on in disbelief as the realization of whom this man is has just hit him. _"Could this young man be "that" boy? This is not good. The last thing I need is that beast waking up."_

Toshida commences his technique with a few lightning fast hand seals. _Dragon, horse, ram, dog, tiger. _

"**_Raiton: Denkou Tama!" (Lightning Bullet)_** Toshida gathers a large amount of chakra into his chest and sparks of electricity begin to spark out from the small spaces between his teeth that are now exposed in a laboured grin as he struggles to contain the large amount of energy. After only a couple seconds of gathering chakra, Toshida releases the chakra that has formed into a large ball of compressed electricity. The bullet shoots out toward the prone airborne shinobi with incredible speed.

The masked shinobi's eyes widen underneath the thick goggles as he is shocked by the incoming attack. The shinobi acts quickly and spins at high speed, dispersing the attack with a thunderous spin kick with his left leg that slices directly through the centre of the lightning ball, surprising the fighters opponent.

_(Song ends)_

"WHAT!" Exclaims Toshida. _"How in the hell did that guy manage to deflect an attack of that magnitude?"_

Toshida lands safely on the ground and looks up toward his still airborne opponent who is headed for a landing on the wall of the Hokage building. The shinobi lands safely on his right leg, but as soon as his left leg lands on the wall, the shinobi finds himself unable to focus chakra into his feet and he falls off the wall heading straight to the ground, catching the attention of a now amused Toshida.

The shinobi manages to land on the ground safely on his right leg, but finds that his left leg is numb and disabled. He desperately tries to get feeling back into his leg, striking and massaging it desperately in the faint hope that the numbness will subside.

Toshida rises to his feet and stalks toward the disabled fighter, "You have a great amount of speed on your side and your technique is very impressive. But blocking an electric attack with your leg was not a smart move for a taijutsu user." The masked shinobi manages to rise to his feet, hobbling on one leg with his fists at the ready. "That attack sent a surge of electricity through all the nerves in your lower leg. It is going to be numb for a while and I doubt you will be able to use it very well. Give up now and you will live, there is no need for you to die here today. So, please, just stay down."

"Never. I will not back down. I will not give up, not while both of my sensei's are watching me. Not today!" The shinobi crosses his arms in front of his face again and chakra begins to gather from inside him and is made manifest in a blue aura around him.

"I can tell by your voice, that you are still young. Trust me, I know how it feels to want to impress your superiors, but this is foolish. You cannot move your strongest leg, so your offense and speed have been severely crippled. Back down now and I will not finish you off."

Inside Toshida's head, he begins to here a faint but deep laughter. His eyes widen and the hair all over his body begins to stand on end as goose bumps cover him from head to toe. Toshida knows what the voice is, and why he is hearing it.

"_NO! NO NOT NOW!" _Toshida says to himself as his mind begins to rush into a panic. _"I didn't think it would wake up this quickly. I-I didn't use that much chakra did I? Are my senses beginning to numb as well?"_

Before Toshida can react to the initial stages of the dragon's awakening, his opponent takes off with an explosion of high speed. His leg seemingly full recovered from the brief injury, he speeds toward Toshida, ready to continue their high stakes battle.

Meanwhile, the Hokage and her entourage are approaching the main gates of the leaf village. Shino and Ino have still not awakened after their ordeal, and Naruto has remained quiet during almost the entire trip. However, when he is able to see the gates that belong to his home, a smile strikes across his face, and Naruto's disposition changes to one of happiness. So much that he cannot hold back his joy.

"YAHOO! I'M HOME! It has only been half the time I was supposed to be away, but I don't care, it still seems like an eternity. I can't wait to see Iruka-sensei again, go to the ramen stand, see how the others are . . ."

Before Naruto can continue with his reminiscing, an overwhelming and powerful thought crosses his mind and he finds himself unable to hold back his emotion. He leaps high into the air waving his arms frantically as if trying to actually fly higher into the air.

"RAMEN!" Naruto screams, "RAMEN!"

As the rest of the entourage tries to ignore Naruto's ridiculous display, the Hokage notices one of the palace guards running out from the other side of the open gates. He runs at high speed screaming the Hokage's name in an attempt to get her attention. His face brandishes a look of panic and Tsunade finds herself worried by the unexpected greeting. She too begins running toward the guard, and her entire entourage follows suit.

When Tsunade meets with the guard she tries to calm him down quickly. "Ok now relax and tell me what is the matter?"

The guard replies trying to gather his breath as quickly as possible. "Hokage-sama, there was a break in at your office."

The Hokage looks to the guard in shock, "What? A break in? By whom?"

"I don't know Hokage-sama, Iruka-sensei noticed something peculiar earlier in the day and he reported it to ANBU. They evacuated the building and allowed the intruders to infiltrate the office. While the robbers where inside, ANBU sealed off all of their escape routes . . . and then _they _showed up."

"What do you mean, _they?_" Tsunade asks. "Who showed up at the building?"

"SICT did Hokage-sama." An angry look crosses of Tsunade's face as it appears Kakashi has grown impatient. "They showed up and took over control of the operation. They sent an operative in to spy on the intruders, and then attempted to capture them as they left. But things didn't go as planned and now there is a fight between their leader and one of the SICT operatives."

"Their leader? How many of them are there? Who is the leader?" The Hokage asks in rapid sequence, grabbing the guard on the shoulder as she questions.

"I-I think there were four of them Tsunade-sama. The leader's name was Tosh . . . Toshi . . . Ah yes, Toshida!"

A look of fear and amazement strikes across the faces of the entire entourage, as their ordeal in the wave country seems to have beaten them home. Tsunade turns to her entourage with a determined look on her face and waves her guards to follow her as she runs toward the gate at top speed, her arms straight out behind her.

"LETS GO!" She says, as she takes off toward the village, her ANBU guards, Jiraiya and Shizune in toe.

"H-hey! Wait for me!" Naruto screams as he to joins the fray. Before anyone else can say anything, Sakura, Chouji and Neji have joined the rush to the leaf village.

Back at the battle scene, Toshida finds himself desperately trying to counter the masked ninja's frightening speed. The shinobi throws heavy punches at Toshida and Toshida just barely manages to cross his arms in front of him, just narrowly blocking the strikes aimed at his head and chest. Toshida then catches a quick glance of the lightning fast shinobi circling like a shark in the ocean. Toshida wastes no time and begins to follow in the shinobi's wake.

The two fighters are now circling the area parallel to one another, neither fighter wants to take the risk of telegraphing their next move. The two begin to move faster and faster, sending more dust and dirt into the air, blinding anyone that has been trying to follow the exchange with their eyes.

As the Hokage and her company draw closer to the battle field, they too can notice the huge cyclone of dirt and dust that has entered the air via the speed of the two fighters. As Tsunade notices the battle taking place, she increases her speed as do her guards.

Toshida finally stops the cyclone by slamming his foot down in front of him, stopping almost all of his momentum immediately. At the same time he places his right fist into the palm of his left hand and straightens out his elbow and pushes backward in the opposite direction. Toshida times it perfectly and ends up catching the pursuing shinobi by surprise directly in the face, shattering the masked shinobi's goggles and sending him skidding along the ground, tumbling and rolling end over end until crashing into a nearby wall. Toshida slowly rises to his feet, having been severely drained by having to keep up such a high level of speed for so long. The masked shinobi also begins to rise to his feet after clearly some dust and debris from the wall off of himself.

"_When it comes to Taijutsu, I am superior to this guy. My strikes are heavier, my technique more refined, and my style nearly impossible to counter. However, he is able to maintain that inhuman speed for much longer than me. That is what the difference maker in this match is. Although he has been severely injured by my attacks, I am just as drained from having to move so fast."_

Toshida stops his analysis of the match abruptly as the voice inside him has returned, although much louder than before. **_"Heh heh heh. Looks like you have been having fun kid. But I think maybe it is about time I woke up and stretched out for a bit." _**

A look of terror embeds itself on Toshida's face as he openly speaks out against the waking beast. "Go to hell you monster! This is not your fight, go back to comatose hell where you belong and stay out of my life!"

Keinea looks on in horror as he realizes what is happening. "Dammit! Brother is already at stage two. If he can already hear the dragon loud enough that he has to address it openly, there is not much time before he reaches stage five. When that happens, it will take this whole attachment to stop him."

Kakashi looks to Keinea and addresses the situation. "You! Tell me, is that boy the vessel for the dragon?"

Keinea responds to the Leaf jounin, although weary and somewhat spiteful. "Yes, now what is it to you? What do you care?"

"I know about that beast's deeds and I know what it is capable of. Is there any hope of stopping it from awakening?"

"Y-yes there is" Keinea responds, "But how do you know about brothers' burden?"

Kakashi looks to the ground and as he remembers a dark and tragic tale, "I have read the reports from the survivors of the Battle of Tarawa Creek. What most people dismissed as mass hysteria, I have come to believe as fact."

Keinea lowers his head as he understands the reference, "Yes. My brother was at Tarawa Creek. Or as I am sure you have heard, "The Battle of Blood River"

Back at the battle scene, Toshida continues his anger words with the demon beast inside of him. "I don't need you, or your help or anything of the sort. Just shut up! AND STAY OUT OF MY LIFE!"

As Toshida screams out, he takes off with blinding speed toward the still weary masked fighter, his face half exposed by the shattered goggles. He finds himself too slow to react as Toshida follows with a thunderous open-handed strike to the centre of his chest sending him back into the wall and embedding him several inches into the foundation. Toshida follows up with an open-handed strike that the masked shinobi just barely manages to evade, leaving a large hole in the concrete where the shinobi's head once resided.

Toshida speeds after the fleeing shinobi and catches up to him quickly, trying to trip him up with a fast spinning sweep with his right leg. The shinobi manages to leave the ground in time to dodge the sweep attempt, but cannot dodge Toshida's follow up. Toshida follows through with his momentum, spinning into the air and swinging his right leg toward the fighter, as the fighter moves to block the right leg which does not connect, he is caught by surprise as a back spin kick with the left leg that strikes him in the left temple, sending him once again to the ground.

"**_Zaigou Senpuu!" (Sinful Whirlwind) _**Toshida shouts as the kick connects. When Toshida lands on the ground again, he readies his hands in the seal of the rat, ready to start another jutsu. However, he finds himself paralysed where he stands, and soon drops to his knees clutching his stomach and grimacing in intense pain.

"No! Not now you bastard! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Toshida's screams echo throughout the entire village with a blood curdling reverberation, and sending chills up even the most hardened shinobi's spine. At that moment, Tsunade and company arrive at the battle scene, shocked to see Toshida on the ground clutching his stomach and screaming in pain.

"_This is not good." _Tsunade says to herself, _"We don't need this guy losing it here in the village, there are too many civilians here."_

Meanwhile, Keinea begs Kakashi to let him and his comrades go to his brother's aid. "God dammit! Let us help him. If we don't then we are all in serious trouble don't you get it!"

Before Kakashi can offer a response his attention is again drawn to Toshida as his chakra flares up with extreme intensity. A massive green aura begins to appear around him as he remains screaming at the top of his lungs, as if he was being tortured to the brink of death. He embeds his hands down into the ground, concealing them from view, as his eyes glow with a green aura and his hair stands directly on end and rapidly unties itself from its braid as if being untied with invisible fast-moving hands. His hair the drops down do just below his shoulders and it begins to change colour slowly, moving from a shade of black darker then any night sky, to a pale white colour with a mild green tinge to it.

Naruto finds himself stricken with fear and unable to move, as he too feels something brewing in himself. _"What's this feeling? Why do I feel sick all of a sudden?" _

Naruto finds himself even more petrified as Toshida raises his head and looks Naruto straight in the eyes, although the eyes staring at Naruto are not those of Toshida. The eyes are almost identical to the eyes of the nine-tails only reptilian in appearance. The slits that were once pupils, are almost as narrow as the thin edge of a coin. The look in Toshida's eyes, although frightening to Naruto, hide a panicked expression. As if Toshida was behind the eyes crying out for help.

Toshida continues writhing around on the ground as his body goes through changes in front of everyone's eyes. He raises his hands from the dirt to find that claws have arisen from what were once fingernails, and light green scales begin to cover numerous patches over his arms.

Toshida stands to his feet still clutching his stomach in one hand and now clutching his head in the other, he looks to his brother with fear in his eyes and speaks in a voice that is deeper and darker then his own, **_"Help me! Please brother, Help me!"_**

Keinea cannot take it anymore, and with tears in his eyes he takes a swing at Kakashi to throw his guard off. Kakashi avoids the punch easily and restrains Keinea by the arms, placing them behind his back.

Keinea focuses his chakra into the area around him and struggles to free himself from Kakashi's grip. He swings his legs around frantically, putting all the pressure on his arms almost separating both his elbows. He manages to get Kakashi to turn just enough so that the shadow of the Hokage's building loams over him and Keinea then smiles as he kicks at Kakashi. The kick does not connect with Kakashi, as it enters the shadow cast down on him and the kick is felt by one of the guards restraining Maea, who resides in the shadow of the same building. Keinea kicks again and connects with the face of the guard restraining Toragai. Keinea then frees himself from Kakashi's grip, entering the shadow that has been cast upon the leaf Jounin.

Toragai then disappears into the shadows and Maea soon after. The three move at break neck speed through the shadow toward their leader. As the three of them leap out of the shadow aimed directly at Toshida, all three of them roll up their sleeves revealing the mark of the sealing jutsu used to incapacitate the dragon. The three tackle Toshida to the ground and strike him at strategic points on Toshida's body.

"**_Fuinjutsu: Hyakuhei Fuin (Sealing Technique: Seal of All Evils)"_** The symbols flow from the shinobi's arms and into their frightened leader, fighting a battle inside Toshida's body. The sealing jutsu begins to flood through every inch of Toshida's body covering him in black symbols. As Toshida screams even louder then before, the three sin shinobi look on in horror as the seals are receding, and Toshida's transformation continues.

"What the hell is going on!" Toragai asks. "This has never happened before, he must be growing too immune to the seal. He is too far into the transformation."

Toshida's chakra flares up and sends all three of his teammates hurling into the air. After seeing that the sin shinobi's efforts have failed, three ANBU guards move in to try and restrain the shinobi.

"**_Don't come near me!" _**Toshida screams as the ANBU are almost directly on top of him.

Toshida then finds himself helpless to stop as he strikes all three ANBU guards simultaneously with one quick slash. The ANBU guards recover quickly, and move in to attack again. Toshida begs them to stay away but the ANBU guards show no fear, and continue their charge. Toshida's expression changes from one of panic, to a sadistic smile. His teeth have become like sharp fangs, and his claws protrude outward.

Neji stands next to Naruto watching the events unfurl in dramatic fashion, and finds himself at a lack for better words. "What the hell is he? What is happening to him?"

Keinea lowers his head in shame as he realizes that it is too late. "It's not him anymore. I'm sorry brother. We were too late."

Toshida holds up both hands with his fingers extended in the seals of half rams. He turns both hands sideways and spreads his extended fingers and connects the two of them at the knuckle. Toshida, or rather . . . the dragon, has started a jutsu.

"**_Ryuujin Pou: Ryuu Shippo!" (Dragon God's art: Dragons tail) _**Toshida separates his fingers from one another and pulls apart two large extensions of pure green chakra. As the length of the two strands reach a length of more than five feet, they separate and Toshida has formed two whips made of pure chakra extended out of his two fingers in each hand. As the ANBU guards charge, Toshida swings his left whip which unfurls and strikes the first ANBU guard with the point of the whip. As chakra pours into the ANBU guards body, the guard feels a sensation comparable with a full powered strike from a jyuuken master.

The second guard moves in fast on Toshidas right side, but his advance is brought to an abrupt halt as Toshida swings his left whip that wraps around the ANBU guards neck. Toshida swings his arm and the ANBU guard is taken off his feet, being thrown around like a rag doll, helpless to avoid the abuse. Toshida swings the guard into the trunk of one of the nearby trees, splintering it where the guard made impact. Toshida maintains his extended grip on the guard and whips him in the opposite direction, releasing the ANBU member at the last minute and sending the guard through the thick concrete wall of the Hokage's building.

The third ANBU guard charges in toward Toshida, as Toshida retracts both of the whips to the tip of his fingers. The materialized chakra vibrates at Toshida's finger tips like the tail of a rattlesnake. Toshida aims his two fingers at the oncoming guard and the chakra whip shoots out from his fingers toward the ANBU at bullet speed. The ANBU guard barely manages to avoid certain death, as he leaps and twists in mid avoiding the sharp tip of the whip that pierces through the trunk of a thick tree with ease.

As Toshida aims his second shot at the ANBU guard, he soon finds his arm being restrained by his brother Keinea. _"He is only at level three! I can tell just by how much chakra he is exerting_._ The dragon does not have total control over him yet. The dragon has influence, but brother is managing to hold back._"

"**_Let go of me, brother!" _**Toshida says to his struggling sibling.

"_That just proves it! When the dragon takes over, it never calls me brother. Only when brother is still in control. He is fighting to free us from the guards. Dammit brother! Why would you do something so risky? Do you want to be killed before we find a cure for you?"_

Keinea reaches behind and restrains his brother's other arm, pinning both of them behind him and causing Toshida to lose the whips he had been controlling, and possibly saving the ANBU guards life. Toshida himself grimaces as he too tries to restrain himself from attacking any further. Keinea searches amongst the bystanders searching for anyone that may be able to help, as he looks to his fellow teammates, both Maea and Toragai rise to their feet quickly and prepare to perform the sealing technique yet again.

Then, for a brief instant, Toshida's eyes revert back to his own, suppressing the glare of the dragon momentarily. He turns his head to look at his brother, "Brother . . . its too strong right now for that to work. The beast is using too much chakra right now through me. It is blocking the attempts to use the sealing technique."

Keinea has tears in his eyes, as he fears he may have to fulfill part of the promise he made to his brother a long time ago. "I won't do it brother, I won't. If you are going to die, than I will die with you."

"No one dies here today Keinea. I told you all that earlier today."

"But brother, what are we supposed to do? If you're producing too much chakra how are we going to use the technique?"

"Stop . . . me from . . . using . . . my chakra!"

"B-but . . . how in the hell are we going to do that?"

Toshida turns his head slowly still trying to fight the will of the dragon from taking control of him again. Toshida looks through the crowd and his eyes become locked on a certain member of the horrified audience. As he locks eyes with the young man, the dragon begins to take over again, and Toshida's eyes revert to the reptilian sheen that only the dragon possesses, and his voice becomes deep and hideous yet again.

"U-use . . . the . . . Hy . . . H**_yu_** **** **_Hyuuga . . . USE THE HYUUGA KID!" _**Toshida bellows, cause the hair on the back of Neji's neck to stand on end.

Keinea is quickly able to understand what his brother was referring to. _"Of coarse! That kid is a jyuuken user. He targets tenketsu points! If I can get him to close off my brother's chakra holes, we can perform the seal effectively without interference_."

Keinea directs his attention to Neji and screams at him as loud as he possibly can, "HEY YOU! THE HYUUGA KID! ATTACK HIM! I'LL HOLD HIM, AND YOU CLOSE HIS CHAKRA HOLES!"

"NO! NEJI! Stay away from him!" Tsunade screams at her subordinate.

Neji understands the plan quickly and races to the scene moving past the guards that try to stop him from interfering and ignoring the Hokage's orders to stay out of harms way.

"**_BYAKUGAN_**" Neji says, as the famous advanced bloodline of the Hyuuga clan takes full effect, and Neji immediately begins to target the circulatory system of the prone Toshida from a number of metres away.

Neji arrives in front of Toshida standing only several paces away from him. He fights off the feeling of nervousness that had been slowly consuming him, and raises both of his arms out with his hands standing on end, palms flat and straight out. He then takes the appropriate position, with his arms stretched out to both sides angled slightly. The divination symbol appears in Neji's vision as he is ready to commence his coup de gras.

"**_Jyuukenpou: Hakke Rokujuu Yonshou!"_** **_(Gentle fist style: Divination Field, Sixty-  
four Palms)_**


	13. Questions and Answers

_**Chapter 13: Questions and Answers**_

"**_Jyuukenpou: Hakke Rokujuu Yonshou!_** **_(Gentle fist style: Divination Field, Sixty-four Palms)_** Neji commences his deadly technique and makes the first two strikes against the helpless Toshida. "TWO!" As he spins and continues the combo, the number of chakra holes closed increases exponentially, "FOUR! EIGHT! SIXTEEN! THIRTY-TWO!" All of Toshida's main chakra points close with every direct hit by the Hyuuga prodigy. As Toshida grimaces and tries to hold back from screaming out in pain his brother tightens his grip on him to keep him from squeezing out of his grasp as the final strike comes.

"Sorry," Neji says to the surprise of the two brothers, "but this is for all of the trouble you have caused."

Neji closes the sixty-third tenketsu causing the brothers to stagger. He then pulls back his left arm and readies the final strike, channelling a large amount of chakra into his hand and starting a small rotation around his arm. He thrusts his arm forward with an open handed strike, with a miniature Hakkeshou Kaiten around his palm.

"SIXTY FOUR!" Neji yells as the strike hits Toshida square in the solar plexis, send both Toshida and his brother back several feet, knocked both of them to the ground.

Toshida's teammates act quickly and pounce on their fallen leader, setting up the sealing technique. The three shinobi hold their palms against strategic points on Toshida's body.

"**_FUIN!" (Seal)_**

The sealing symbols once again flood into Toshida's body fighting the dragon's will like antibodies against an infection. The seals cover Toshida's entire body causing a brilliant flash of light to streak across the landscape. When the light dissipates, Toshida has reverted to normal state, and his teammates lie on the ground exhausted from the extensive exertion.

The remaining entourage of the Hokage looks on in disbelief at all that has happened before their eyes. Sakura has taken a serious interest in the brothers Akira, as she has found herself for some reason, almost fascinated by the strange actions of both of them.

"_They seem so close, yet they seem almost wanting to kill one another some times." _She says to herself as the wounded and exhausted Toshida begins to rise to his feet. _"The younger brother seems to care about his older brother greatly, but it is almost as if the older brother actually wants to die."_

Sakura then notices as Toshida begins to tie his hair back in his trademark braid, that just underneath Toshida's hairline resides a large and deep scar that moves almost directly along his hair line. The area around the scar is slightly bruised, showing that it is a wound that never properly healed.

"_I wonder where he got that scar? I suppose that being such a skilled shinobi, it is only natural that he would have all sorts of scars. But if he had any others, why did they all heal properly." _Sakura quickly examines Toshida not noticing any other scars at all, _"He doesn't have any scars, except for the one on his neck? Why didn't that scar heal?"_

What happens next, catches everyone by surprise, as Toshida pulls out his kunai and charges at the unsuspecting Kakashi. "Die you bastard!" Toshida screams as he lets out almost a growl as he charges toward the Jounin who has now directed his attention to Toshida.

As Toshida gets close enough, he thrusts his kunai at Kakashi's face, and in return has the kunai deflected easily by the back of Kakashi's hand, and Kakashi raises a kunai of his own to the tired shinobi's throat.

"Stand down, boy. No one will be dying here today." Kakashi says, as Toshida's eyes fill with hatred.

"That is not for you to decide! Fight me and kill me if you think you can!" Toshida says as he takes a swing at Kakashi.

Kakashi blocks the punch easily and twists Toshidas wrist around, putting the shinobi in a modified arm bar. Kakashi then kicks out the legs of the shinobi and drops him to the ground. As Kakashi stands over the restrained shinobi, he signals to two of the ANBU guards to come over to the scene. The guards arrive and put metal restraints on Toshida, as well as his teammates. The four shinobi are brought to their feet and are then marched toward a prison facility in the ANBU headquarters.

Keinea looks to his older brother with a spiteful scowl across his face as he knows what Toshida was trying to accomplish. _"Damn you brother. I hate seeing you like that. Whenever you lose control, you want nothing more then to just stop existing. You will fight the strongest person you can find in hopes that they will end your life." _A tear begins to form in Keinea's eye as the thoughts of his brother's self hatred, sometimes prove to much to bear. _"We'll find a way brother. I promise. We can be happy again just like back then. Even if it was brief . . ."_

As the four sin shinobi are taken away, Tsunade questions' Kakashi's motives behind using the SICT in a situation like this. "Kakashi, why did you bring them into this? This was not some kind of training exercise for your team. Someone could have gotten seriously hurt here today, and it is too much effort and too many risks that go in to training just one of these shinobi."

"Sorry Hokage-sama." Kakashi says, as he scratches the back of his head in a vein attempt to look innocent. "I thought maybe ANBU would need some help in this situation so I decided to test our team's abilities."

Tsunade looks at Kakashi suspiciously as something seems out of the ordinary. _"Ok. Where is the other one?" _Tsunade asks herself.

Tsunade then looks to the bushes at the side of the Hokage building and notices something strange about them. An unimpressed look comes over her face as she realizes, there are not bushes like that behind the Hokage building, and the other one's whereabouts becomes obvious.

"All right! Your disguise was horrible, now get over here! I know you were in on this too!" Tsunade says, shouting and pointing at the bushes.

A deep yet embarrassed voice comes from the bushes, "All right, I'm sorry. I should have known you wouldn't fall for such a childish disguise. After a quick puff of smoke, the bush disappears and the flamboyant Maito Gai stands in its stead.

"I suppose, we are really in trouble now aren't we?" Gai says, as he too scratches the back of his head.

All of the commotion has confused both Naruto and Sakura and they are quick to question what exactly is going on. "Hey, Hey what the hell is going on around here? Kakashi-sensei, long time no see! Why was fang face and his group here? Why was super brows disguised as a bush? Who are all these darkly dressed guys?" Naruto questions. He then changes his tone and bats himself on the head a number of times in frustration. "WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING AROUND HERE!"

Kakashi lets out a solemn wave to his old students and begins to explain. "Yo! Sorry Naruto, you haven't been around so I guess this must all be kind of weird. But don't feel left out, there are very few people in the village that knows of our group's existence."

Gai walks over to Kakashi and helps to explain the situation as well, "This is the S.I.C.T team. A conglomerate group made of shinobi from our village under the tutelage of myself and Kakashi."

"The S.I.C.T.?" Asks Sakura, "What is the purpose of the group?"

Kakashi is the one to answer Sakura's question, "When Sasuke left our village, he became a missing Nin of this village. Now that he is on the same side as Orochimaru, he has become a serious threat to the safety of this village. Also, with Akatsuki's interest in you Naruto, Sasuke's brother Itachi is a more prominent threat then ever before. When he left the village, we all knew he was dangerous and a threat to us, but quite frankly, he was too strong to send Hunter Nins after. Now that Akatsuki wants Naruto, the risk of Itachi returning to the village again is even more likely. And if the last time he was here was any evidence, the village's shinobi are simply not ready to handle a sharingan user of that magnitude."

Gai interrupts Kakashi and finishes his explanation, leaving Kakashi with an unimpressed look across his face. "So Hokage-sama commissioned us to train a team that could counter the brothers, if they were to attack the village. Kakashi is a sharingan user, so using him to determine many of the sharingans weaknesses was the first part of the training process. I came in when they needed someone experienced in fighting a sharingan user to help them. So Kakashi and I created this group and trained them as highly secret operatives. The Sharingan Intelligence and Counter. Tactics team, or SICT."

Kakashi steps in front of Gai (much to his dismay) and continues on with where Gai left off. "The shinobi were trained much like ANBU members are. They were hand picked by Gai and me, and received specialized training and only the elite made the cut. We had them specialize in using high speed taijutsu and unorthodox fighting styles to counter the sharingan's copying abilities and foresight."

"We had them wear special uniforms and armour that blend into most backgrounds when moving at high speed, making them even harder to see. In Itachi's case, the need for mental protection is needed as well. We designed goggles that used a series of elaborately placed mirrors to see through, thus negating the effects of Itachi's doujutsu by not making full eye contact with his sharingan."

Gai steps in front of Kakashi, maintaining the ongoing childish display and continuing on with the explanation. "We came up with our current team of eight members made up of three jounins, four chuunins . . ."

"And one genin!" Shouts a voice from behind the two jounin leaders of the SICT. As Naruto and Sakura direct their attention to the voice that has interrupted the jounins story, they notice that the voice came from the masked fighter that fought with Toshida. The young man walks toward Naruto and Sakura and while walking, removes his mask and broken goggles revealing an all too familiar face to the two genins.

"Lee-san!" Shouts Sakura.

"Heh heh, its geji-mayu!" Says Naruto as a smile forms on his face.

"Naruto-kun! It is good to see you again. You have been gone for too long." Lee says as he straightens out his messed up hair and scratches the back of his head. "And I have been so busy lately, that I haven't seen you either, Sakura-san. This group makes me keep things very low brow, and I have to maintain absolute secrecy."

"I was wondering why I hadn't seen you around at all." Sakura says, "I just figured that Gai-Sensei and you were working on a lot of missions together."

"Well, we have actually. I have had a part in the training of the SICT members as well. Since I only use taijutsu techniques, some of my training methods have been implemented as standards for this group."

Kakashi steps forward to continue with the explanation, "Lee was the only genin to be asked to join the group, and one of only eight shinobi to pass the final cut. His fight with the sin leader was most impressive I must say."

Gai interrupts and bursts in front of Kakashi knocking him off balance and startling both Naruto and Sakura. "Of coarse he passed the final cut! Was anything less expected of my most prized pupil!"

Naruto displays an uncharacteristic move, and is the first one to start acting mature in this conversation. "Kakashi-sensei, why were the sin shinobi here? What were they doing in our village?"

"They snuck into the village, and broke into the Hokage's building, raided her files and stole a secret document." Kakashi responds, "For those actions they will be taken into custody until they can be tried and convicted and then punished. But what I would like to know is how do you all know who they are?"

Tsunade interjects from her observing point next to Jiraiya and Shizune, several metres away from Kakashi, "Let's just say that it's a long story. Kakashi, what document did they try and steal?"

One of the SICT members throws the large scroll to Kakashi who holds it up and checks the label, "It seems that they tried to steal the third Hokage's personal journal. Hmpf, I wonder why?"

Tsunade ponders to herself as to why Toshida may have wanted the scroll, _"There are no strategic plans or valuable secrets in those journals, it's just the third's diary of events during his time as Hokage. Why would he want such a thing? Why not the scroll of forbidden seals? Or the village's financial information? If he is not out for power or money, then what is he after?" _

The realization soon comes to Tsunade as she realizes that the boy must have been telling the truth about not having any motives other then freeing himself. _"The boy really was telling the truth. He has such a great power inside him, yet he fears it so much that he refuses to acknowledge it. He must have thought something in the third's journal would have been of some help to him."_

A few short hours later, The sin shinobi have regained their strength as they sit in a brightly lit cell in the leaf villages small prison. Toshida sits by himself in the corner with his arms crossed over his knees as he stares blankly into nothingness. The other three shinobi can be seen pacing back and forth in front of him, wondering just how they are going to make it out of this predicament.

"I still don't get it boss. The seals should have worked the first time. How did that thing manage to get strong enough to resist the technique, when only 24 hours ago it worked just fine!" Asks a pacing and disgruntled Toragai.

Toshida lowers his head and does not answer.

Keinea interjects and offers an explanation. "It must have been a combination of the chakra that my brother used during the fight, and the simple exertion he put forward. It was a fierce fight, the dragon just got woken up by all the racket I suppose."

Maea takes Toragai's side and cannot help but be curious herself, "Well we know that's the reason it likely woke up, but why didn't the seal work the first time? I don't understand."

"I am not sure myself. I suppose we will just have to continue our work on creating a stronger seal, right brother?" Keinea says as he turns to his brother.

Toshida looks up only slightly, "Y-yea I guess so."

Before the conversation can continue any further, the four shinobi can hear the doors beginning to open from the other side. A single ANBU guard walks into the cell holding a single pair of handcuff like restraints. The restraints have a special seal, inscribed on them that misdirects the flow of chakra, when the restraints are active. The person restrained then becomes unable to control even a small amount of chakra in their body, preventing them from breaking the restraints of using any jutsu.

The guard points to Toshida sitting in the corner and orders him to come forward. "I have been ordered to take you to the Hokage immediately. I am putting these restraints on you and I have been ordered to kill anyone that resists."

Maea and Keinea stand in front of Toshida shielding him from the ANBU guard and readying to attack in a moments notice. Toshida yells out to them, "Stand down you two. I am the one they want and I will go willingly."

"B-but Toshida-sama . . ." Maea says as she looks to her leader with a confused look.

"Just stay here and be patient." Toshida stands to his feet and walks toward the ANBU guard. "I don't want there to be any more violence this day."

Toshida turns around to allow the ANBU guard to attach the restraints to his wrists, latching down each of the shackles and immobilizing Toshida's hands and arms. Toshida is escorted out of the cell by the ANBU guard and the two make their way to the Hokage's building.

Along the way to the building, Toshida notices a number of ANBU guards posted along the path to the Hokage's building. There are no villagers or other shinobi walking in the path, as the ANBU or rerouted anyone that may have been in the way to other routes. After walking about three blocks, the two arrive at the Hokage's building and make their way up to the Hokage's office, where Tsunade, Kakashi and Jiraiya await their arrival.

When the two arrive in the Hokage's office, The ANBU guard is quickly dismissed by a simple nod from the Hokage. Toshida stands in the large office just across from Tsunade, Jiraiya and Kakashi. Tsunade is the first to address the restrained sin shinobi.

"You don't need to keep those on anymore." Tsunade says, as she points to the restraints on Toshida's wrists.

With an unamused smirk on his face, Toshida simply flicks his hands a bit, and the shackles drop off of his hands. "If you knew I could take them off whenever I wanted, then why put them on in the first place?"

"It was a test," says Kakashi, "to determine whether or not your intentions are genuine, and whether or not you are an immediate threat to this village."

"I see." Toshida responds, "So why is it that I have been summoned here without my team? Whether you tell me something now or I tell them later, it makes no difference."

"We understand that." Says Jiraiya, who has remained rather silent through most of the whole ordeal with the sin shinobi. "The three of us have been in serious discussion since you were apprehended trying to steal the third's journal."

Tsunade then interjects, "We want to know why you wanted the scroll, and from then on we will determine how to proceed."

"And if I decide to simply remain silent?"

"Then you will go back to the holding cell where you will await extradition. From there you will be found guilty and sent to a penal colony for shinobi under the watch of fire country guards. That of course is if it is not decided that death would be the better option."

"You do not really understand my upbringing at all do you Tsunade-sama?" Toshida says as his eyebrows lower, creating a penetrating glare that pierces the eyes of Tsunade, Kakashi and Jiraiya. "What kind of threat is it to send me to one of the fire country's prison colonies? You know already that I was born and lived half my life in the harshest prison colony in the five countries, and I told you already that if I _could _be killed, then it would be a victory for my cause. So I ask you, what is the point of threatening pain when living itself is hell?"

Tsunade smiles and closes her eyes as she understands where the shinobi is coming from. "So I see. Well then I suppose that decides it."

Toshida is surprised by the Hokage's response. He looks to the other two shinobi in the room and both Jiraiya and Kakashi have similar expressions on their faces. "What do you mean that decides it? What are you going to do?"

Tsunade pours herself a cup of sake from her ever present table side bottle and brings it to her lips but pauses to answer the shinobi's question. "Why did you want the scroll? Answer the question, and we will see what we can do to help you."

Toshida lowers his head and nods as he starts to explain his reasoning. "I know of the third's reputation, the professor knowing all of the techniques in the strongest village in the five countries. I heard stories about him being the strongest shinobi that ever lived. I had also heard that he was very dedicated to his journals and diaries. I wanted his journal to possibly learn from all of his experience and wisdom."

Jiraiya cannot help but interject, "But why would you want our sensei's journal? What did you hope to learn from it?"

"When I met that kid in the forest," Toshida remembers his first encounter with Naruto back in the wave country. After Toshida ripped open Naruto's shirt, the seal that the fourth Hokage used to seal the nine-tails in Naruto was revealed to Toshida. "I noticed the seal on his stomach after I had realized that the demon fox was sealed inside of him. That seal was different then the one that I possess."

Toshida then lifts up his shirt and dismisses some of the genjutsu that is used to cover up the scars left by his constant sealing. As the genjutsu fades, it reveals a large black seal across Toshida's chest and partially on his stomach that throbs a bright green with the beat of his own heart. The seal is similar to Naruto's but it is also very different. Rather then the main symbol of the seal being a circular spiral shape, Toshida's seal is that an acute triangle with straight edges, that also spiral toward the centre of the seal.

Outside of the seal half an inch from each of the acute angles, is a single seal that curves clockwise, and half an inch from every straight side of the triangle is a similar seal that curves counter clockwise. All six of the seals are roughly 2 inches long and are all confined with the triangular seal inside a series of seals that resemble the symbols on the outside of Naruto's seal. However, unlike Naruto the symbols do not create a symbol similar to a sun, this seal almost creates a second triangle that confines all of the seals.

The seal is also larger then the one Naruto has, spanning from each of Toshida's nipples, and down to his navel. It then soon becomes apparent to Tsunade, that this seal was made with similar methods to those used by the fourth. However, this seal is significantly weaker and the dragon slowly taking over Toshida's body is the ideal proof.

"_I do not think I have ever seen such a seal before. Yes it resembles the one that fourth used to seal the nine-tails, but this one has different symbols and seals." _Tsunade tries to examine the seal as much as she can from the distance she is at. _"It is almost as if the two seals were created by the same kind of methods, but with far different results. The nine-tails is symbiotic to Naruto, working alongside him to a mutual benefit. But the dragon is a parasite, feeding off of Toshida and converting him into its own form._"

"As you can see, the dragon is contained in my body by a similar seal to the one that the nine-tails kid has. However, this demon can leave most of my body if it wishes and if it is strong enough. But if it leaves my body completely it must return in a short time or it risks its own spirit simple disappearing. Fortunately, it has never decided to do so."

Toshida pulls his shirt back down and looks the Hokage in the eyes. "And as I am afraid you have already witnessed, if the dragon is awakened, it takes control of my body and begins to transform into another form in which there are several levels. Once I reach level three, my body changes and I begin to become influenced by the dragons will directly. When I hit level four, I lose control and the dragon does the fighting and I can only try and struggle with it for control. When that happens, people usually get hurt, and it was after witnessing that stage that I convinced my teammates to start using the sealing jutsu on me."

Kakashi steps forward and drills the sin shinobi with a question that catches Toshida off guard. "And what happens when you reach level five?"

Toshida is shocked by the question and he lowers his head in shame as he recalls the last time he reached the fifth level. "When I reach level five . . . the dragon takes over completely for a short time . . . and all I can do is watch as it does what it wishes. Kill . . . absorb souls . . . feed . . . or just destroy anything in its path just because it felt like having fun."

Toshida grimaces as the mere thought of the disgusting creature inside of him makes him sick to his stomach. He regains his composure and adds one last remark, "Luckily for everyone in this village . . . that has only happened once before."

Kakashi lowers his head for a second as he has heard of that incident, "The Massacre at Blood River?"

Toshida lowers his head in shame yet again and closes his eyes as he tries to block the painful memories out, sending them back to the dark recesses of his mind where he had buried them long ago. "Yes. . . The Massacre at Blood River."

Kakashi raises his head and looks Toshida in the eye with a stern look, "So the rumours were true. You were the Butcher at blood river!"

"If you have anything to say to me leaf trash why don't you just come out and say it instead of badgering me while you hide behind two of the sannin?" Toshida barks as he flies off at Kakashi.

Tsunade stands to her feet and breaks up the vocal encounter. "Stop it, both of you!" As both shinobi back down Tsunade thinks to herself, _"I suppose the topic of the Tarawa Creek incident is a taboo for this young man." _

Tsunade once again pours herself a cup of sake from her bottle and swallows it down before redirecting her attention to Toshida. "So let us get to the point. You think that something in that journal may help you in your quest for emancipation?"

"Yes Tsunade-sama. I wish only to study the document." Toshida says as he displays a solemn bow.

"I will make you a deal Toshida. I will release you and your team from the prison and allow you to stay in the village. You will be allowed to roam freely throughout the village, but your movements will be monitored by ANBU at all times. If you show even the slightest hint of deceit, or if your relationship with that beast of yours, moves anywhere higher then level two, you will be arrested on sight and detained until further notice if not killed. And your teammates will be there right next to you. I apologize for the harsh circumstances, but I must consider the safety of those in my village first and foremost."

Toshida's face lights up and for the first time in a long time, his face reveals a smile of joy as everything he had hoped for has begun to fall into place. "You have my word Tsunade-sama, at the first sign of trouble I will turn myself in. For your generosity Tsunade-sama I offer you my life, I will offer you my utmost loyalty, and I can offer the same from the members of my team."

"You owe nothing to me as long as you keep your end of the bargain. You and your team will be allowed supervised access to selected records that you may need for your research and I will personally work alongside you if needed to free you from your bondage. But understand this Toshida," Tsunade says as she rises slowly from her chair, "if the only option available to you, will result in the loss of your life . . . if it protects the people of my village . . . I will personally see to the arrangements."

"You have my word Tsunade-sama. If death is the only answer, I will gladly sacrifice my own life to see that the dragon's life is no longer a threat."

"Very well then. You are dismissed. You may go to the holding cell and inform your teammates."

"Thank you very much Tsunade-sama, I promise you will not regret this."

Toshida turns around and leaves the office in a hurry. None of the ANBU guards try and stop him as he leaves the building and runs toward the prison cell to inform his teammates of the great news. Toshida finds himself almost leaping for joy as he may soon find peace after so many years.

Back in the cell Keinea has not stopped pacing since his brother was taken. "What is taking them so long? What did they want with him? I hate all of this waiting crap! It drives me nuts."

Suddenly, the door is unlocked and it swings open to reveal a smiling Toshida. He embraces his brother who soon follows suit with a joyous expression of his own. Toshida turns to Maea and Toragai and then back to his brother, unsure of where to begin.

"We're free!" Toshida says to the surprise of his teammates. "They are going to help us find a cure for me. The Hokage is going to work right alongside us as we try and find a solution. All of our work has paid off."

Toshida's teammates can barely hold back their joy as all for of them embrace one another during the joyous occasion. Toshida pulls Maea aside and turns to her in front of the other two teammates. "Maea, it was your idea to seek out the help of the Hokage. Without you, this may have never come to pass. For that I thank you." Toshida embraces Maea, causing Maea to blush slightly, but also cower in his arms. As Toshida notices Maea's cowering, he is once again reminded of who he is, and the smile fades quickly from his face.

"I'm sorry Maea. But thank you."

Maea does not reply and simply nods in approval.

Without any further delay, the sin shinobi leave the prison cell to start what may indeed become the next chapter of their young lives. For Toshida, freedom seems to be within his grasp, and for his brother, it signifies a lot of work to be done, but with the rewards being as great as they are, he would never think twice about going through with it. For Maea and Toragai, they have fulfilled their tasks and followed their leaders' orders perfectly, and they could not be happier for him.

Meanwhile, a dark cloud begins to loam over the leaf village as meeting has taken place in a village on the border of the fire country.

In the village of the Hidden Sound, in the heart of Orochimaru's underground base of operations, Orochimaru sits in the darkness, illuminated only by candle light. His face has returned to its former form, a pasty white reminiscent of a corpse, and his eyes a dark yellow like that of a snake. Suddenly, the door at the left side of his small room opens and his most trusted underling enters the room. The former member of the leaf village, the spy Yakuushi Kabuto.

"Orochimaru-sama, we just received the report from unit one."

"Unit one? We haven't heard from him in months. It is a shame that he was not with us on our last mission. Someone like him would have had fun . . . not to say that we did not. What have you learned Kabuto?"

"It appears that Naruto-kun has returned to the village earlier then expected, and his strength has improved greatly."

"Hmm, an interesting development for us. Perhaps it is time that _he _finally finished off his old friend. I want the power that Itachi possesses, and if killing the kyuubi kid is the only way to do that . . . then so be it."

"There is something else . . ."

"What is it?"

"It appears the "Butcher of Blood River" has begun to lose control. The beast inside of him wants out . . . so badly that they were even driven to successfully abduct the Hokage to seek her help."

"Now that is an interesting development. If he would seek out Tsunade to release him from those seals of his, then perhaps it would be in my best interest to offer my services to him as well. Perhaps I could remove that beast of his . . . and harness its power."

"If Akatsuki is after the nine-tails, they may not know yet about Toshida. They do know however, that we have _him_ . . . and that is a threat the may wish to take care of. And if they were to obtain the nine-tails, it would be in our best interest to have an equal force to combat it."

"I agree. Well then . . . I suppose it is settled. We will make the necessary preparations. Inform our forces of our plans and let us ready for an incursion."

"Yes Orochimaru-sama." Kabuto turns around and leaves the room to notify Orochimaru's troops.

Orochimaru remains sitting in his chair in the darkness of his candle lit room. He turns his eyes over to the right corner of the room focussing on the dark shadows that cover his entire study room. He reveals a sadistic smile as he redirects his attention to the front of the room, staring off into nothingness yet again.

"So . . . are you ready to pay your old village a visit?"

In the shadows, the silhouette of a young man can be seen looking out at Orochimaru. A very faint piece of metal can be seen on the head of the silhouette. Upon further inspection, it becomes evident that it is a sound village head protector, and soon the eyes of the silhouette become visible.

As two dark brown eyes can be seen glaring out from the shadows, and a faint smile comes over the face of the silhouette. "I am . . . Orochimaru-sama."

Orochimaru lets out a sinister laugh just under his breath in the background, and with an eery slow and calculated blink of the eyelids, the sound shinobi's eyes change from a piercing dark brown, to the intimidated red stare . . . of a three-tomoe sharingan.


	14. A Clean Slate

_**Chapter 14: A Clean Slate**_

The newly released sin shinobi walk out from the leaf villages temporary prison and are greeted by several of the leaf villages finest. A greeting party consisting of Shikamaru, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Rock Lee, Kakashi and Neji are all gathering around to here what the sin shinobi has to say for themselves now that they are released.

Toshida steps forward, the smile brushed off of his face and a genuine apologetic expression taking its place. "I must personally apologize to all of you. My team and I have nothing but regret for what we have done to you all in the last 72 hours. It was not our intention to hurt anyone. We were just desperate. I hope you can all understand and forgive."

The shinobi remain silent as Tsunade steps forward. "I have talked to everyone involved, and no one holds any grudges against you for what you felt you had to do. In this village you will find that the people are some of the nicest in the five countries. But if you betray their trust, you will find that they are also the strongest of shinobi."

Keinea finds himself almost overwhelmed by all that is going on before his eyes. _"Two days ago we almost killed several of their villagers and now they greet us with open arms? I have never seen or experienced such hospitality. The founders of this village sure did a great job raising such honourable people."_

The greeting party begins to break up as many of the young genin are anxious to meet with the new arrivals. Rock Lee is the first to step forward and offer a handshake to Toshida. Toshida accepts quickly and a smile crosses his face.

"You were an excellent opponent for me." Lee says with his trademark smile streaked across his face. "You really made me go all out. Perhaps we will have to do it again sometime."

Toshida smiles and nods in approval, "Perhaps we will. In a friendly exhibition of course."

"I look forward to it!" Lee says, as he gives Toshida a thumbs up.

Meanwhile, Tsunade confronts Maea with some questions of her own. "I was wondering Maea, how is it that you came to learn about me? I am sure I have heard of your last name before"

Maea looks to the Hokage with a smile of her own, "I had heard of your exploits from both my father and older brother. You may have heard of my father, Sukio Nagawa."

"Yes actually I have." Tsunade cups the bottom of her chin as she tries to remember where she has heard the name. Suddenly she remembers, "Ah yes, if I remember right he was one of the medical ninjas that basically wrote the book on using jutsu's to affect the brain. That would explain how you were able to perform such advanced jutsu that affects the nervous system. His work was used in medicine to help people that suffered from serious head trauma. If I remember correctly, he even had success in repairing certain birth defects."

Maea begins to get excited whenever she is able to brag about her father's exploits. "Yes, it's true! He once was able to completely heal a young girl that was born with cerebral palsy! He didn't even ask for compensation when the procedure was finished, and even someone like him, still looked up to you as inspiration."

Tsunade laughs along side Maea and then asks the gorgeous young shinobi another question, "So I suppose it was him who taught you all about being a medical ninja?"

Maea's happy and carefree expression quickly fades from her face, and her face is overcome by look of deep sadness. "N-no, I just knew where he kept all of his records and notes. I studied them religiously every day in hopes of being like him one day. He taught my brothers everything that they knew . . . and they all became great shinobi . . . especially my older brother Kaida." Maea's eyes are focussed to the bottom left corner of her face as she remembers some painful details involving both her father and her older brother.

"My father was too involved with tradition sometimes. You see . . . I am originally from the Hidden Avalanche Village." Maea says, getting the attention of Tsunade as realizes just how unique this young woman is.

"You mean to tell me that you are a shinobi from the Hidden Avalanche village? The now defunct village in the Earth Country?" Tsunade asks.

"Y-yes Tsunade-sama. I became a shinobi just before the village joined with the hidden rock village."

Tsunade cannot help but be amazed as she thinks to herself, _"How is it that in a village that does not allow women to be trained as ninjas, such a beautiful and very talented shinobi manages to surface? And how did she end up with these people?"_

Shikamaru is the next to talk to the sin shinobi as he makes his way toward Toshida. "I was impressed with how well you and your team worked together. You guys seemed to be able to match us pretty evenly. You're lucky this wasn't a game of shogi or it would have been decisively in our favour."

Toshida cracks another smile and begins to laugh out loud for the first time in a long time, drawing the attention of all shinobi involved. Keinea sits several feet behind Toshida with an amused smile across his face having been eavesdropping on the conversation.

"What's so funny?" Shikamaru asks with a curious look on his face.

"I am afraid if it had been a game of Shogi, you would have been at the disadvantage. Keinea is an excellent Shogi player. I have played him many times over the years, so has Maea and so has Toragai. So far, he remains undefeated."

Shikamaru turns his attention to the cocky looking Keinea who has begun to make his way toward the leaf chuunin. "Well then," Shikamaru says, "I have some spare time right now if you aren't busy. Care for a game?"

Keinea nods, "Absolutely." And he follows Shikamaru back to the Nara household for a friendly game of shogi.

As Toshida also readies to leave the scene he feels his movement restricted by someone's hand that has grabbed him on the shoulder. As Toshida turns his head to the assailant, he sees Neji glaring at him with an unsatisfied look.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Toshida asks. His voice lowered only increasing the moment of tension between the two.

"If I am not mistaken, you still have two other people you need to apologize to." Neji says not showing any signs of fear in the face of the sin shinobi.

In the Konoha hospital, Toshida and Neji approach the bed side of the still comatose Aburame Shino. Shizune walks in the room and checks for any changes in Shino's condition.

Neji turns to Toshida, "What did you do to him? It may help us figure out how to cure him."

"It was another one of the techniques I developed in unison with the dragon's . . . unique abilities. It's called the **_Ryuugan_** **_(Eye of the Dragon), _**it is a technique I only use if the situation calls for it. It is quite diverse actually, the version I used against this boy uses my own memories and those of the dragons, and projects them into the mind of the victim. Anyone that isn't cold hearted and desensitized to the violence . . . simply can't handle all the images at once . . . and the mind simply shuts down."

Neji tries to restrain himself from striking the shinobi as the mere description of the technique sends chills up his spine. "How in the hell is someone supposed to recover from something like that? You could have permanently injured his mind, WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!"

Shizune steps in between Toshida and Neji, possibly preventing another fight in the middle of the Hospital room. "Stop it Neji! This is not helping!" Shizune turns to Toshida with a serious look as she too cannot help but feel angered at Toshida's maliciousness. "Is there anything you know of that we can do to bring him out of it?"

"Yes there is." Replies Toshida as he reaches into his inner coat pocket and pulls out several black pills. "These pills work as hallucinogens. When someone is being affected by hallucinogens, the mind sends out complicated signals that cause numerous different reactions in the body, sometimes causing the effected person to have a reaction similar to that of being poisoned, usually resulting in vomiting among other symptoms. It was Maea's theory that these signals are so instinctual that they would be able to circumvent the effects of the subconscious mind. She developed these pills to induce such a reflex."

"That may cause him to wake up but how will he be afterwards?" Asks Shizune.

"His mind should be overwhelmed by the effects caused by the poison reflex. Usually symptoms such as depression, fatigue etc. He will wake up having felt simply like he got sick and collapsed back in the wave country. The images will likely be pushed back into the far depths of his mind without him even knowing. When he wakes up, he will remember nothing and will eventually forget all about what he saw."

Neji cannot help but remain shocked at the detail Toshida has described, but even more so, how bad the images must have been to do this to Shino in the first place. _"What is it about this man's past that could have been so barbaric that it would send a man into a coma from simply having witnessed it?"_

Toshida leans over Shino's bed and places one of the pills in his mouth and forces him to swallow it. He directs his attention to Shizune, "He will regain consciousness soon enough. It would be best that he remains out of action for a while though. And to be safe . . . I should not be here when he awakens."

Toshida turns around and leaves the room and proceeds down the hallway leaving Neji behind at Shino's side. Toshida hears someone coming up behind him at high speed and he turns around just in time to notice an angry Chouji charging at him. Before Toshida can react, he is struck in the face with a thunderous left hand from the angry Chouji, knocking off his hat and sending him to the ground. Shizune comes running out of Shino's room and once again must mediate between the two of them.

"Chouji calm down! He is not our enemy anymore!" Shizune says, yelling into Chouji's ear.

Chouji does not listen however, as he continues to struggle in hopes of inflicting more pain upon the sin shinobi. Toshida rises to his feet with a bruise forming on his right cheek. "I suppose I deserved that, didn't I?"

Chouji cannot hold his emotions in as he scolds the now saddened and stoic shinobi. "Why did you do it? Why did you have to hurt Ino like that? Nobody knows what's wrong with her! She wakes up occasionally from horrible nightmares just screaming her head off in the middle of the night! What did you do to her!"

Shizune looks to Toshida who only seems to fall deeper into a silent sadness with every dagger like word that comes from Chouji's mouth. "Toshida, will those pills work on Ino too?"

Toshida shakes his head in uncertainty, "I don't know. She became incapacitated after using one of her clans mind altering jutsus. That's never happened before, so I don't know what the condition is directly. And judging from this young man's demeanor, it would be better that I didn't stay any longer to try and assess her condition." Toshida turns his back to the two leaf shinobi, still struggling with one another and begins to walk away, picking his hat up off the ground in the process. Toshida throws the container of pills over his shoulder and Chouji grabs them in his right hand. Toshida stops in his tracks and turns around to face Chouji as he puts his hat back on. "Chouji is it? I cannot tell you how sorry I truly am. Those pills however, are the best and only thing I can do to express that. I leave you to take that however you wish." Toshida lowers the rim of his hat to just in front of his eyes and continues on his way out of the hospital.

As Toshida leaves the hospital, he notices Kakashi leaning up against a tree reading the latest issue of his favourite novel. "So what are you planning to do now?" Asks Kakashi.

"In regards to what?"

"Well you have all the resources you could possibly want to have to help your cause, now all you need to do is figure out where to start."

"I suppose you're right. However, I assume that you have a thing or two to say about that. Would I be correct?"

Kakashi lets out a bit of a laugh, without taking his eyes off of his novel. "Yea, I guess you could say that. Gai has been put in charge of training SICT for the time being. I have been reassigned to keep an eye on you."

"I hope you accepted the mission on a professional basis. Only the great Hatake Kakashi can take care of such a dangerous man?" Toshida says in a mocking and sarcastic tone.

"Not entirely. I was told to watch you based on the fact that I could watch you from a distance, as well as easily take you out if necessary. But I also had personal reasons." Kakashi marks the page in his novel and places it in the back pouch on his belt. He then turns his full attention to Toshida and locks eyes once again with the young shinobi. "I want to know exactly what happened at Tarawa Creek. I have read reports and eye witness accounts on the event, but I want to hear your side of the story."

Toshida does not phase at Kakashi's words and he begins to walk past the leaf jounin. "Another time perhaps."

Kakashi places a hand on Toshida's shoulder, causing the shinobi to stop in his tracks. "You WILL tell me what happened that day. Whether I need to force it out of you or not."

With a swing of his arm so fast that Kakashi was barely able to notice it, Toshida bats Kakashi's hand off his shoulder and turns to face the copy ninja. "If I do tell you . . . it will be at a time of my choosing. So let's just say . . . don't hold your breath."

Toshida then continues on his way moving in the direction of the Ichiraku ramen stand. "If you're coming along Kakashi, I need to talk to the nine-tails kid. If you want to know ahead of time where to stalk me, that's where I will be."

Kakashi lets out an unamused sigh as he follows behind Toshida on his way to the ramen shop. As Toshida turns around to glance back at Kakashi, Kakashi disappears before his eyes. _"Hmpf. Very Sneaky."_

In the ramen shop, Naruto and Sakura sit enjoying a long over do bowl of pork flavoured noodles. As Naruto breaks his chopsticks apart and readies to dig in, he looks to Sakura to see if she does the same. He notices that Sakura is looking at him out of the corner of her eye. Her face is brandishing a large smile, just happy to be sitting with an old friend.

"I missed you too Sakura-chan." Naruto says, causing Sakura to blush slightly.

"It has been too long Naruto, I missed having you around so I am just happy to spend some time with you again." Sakura then breaks apart her chopsticks and begins eating her ramen bowl.

The ramen shop owner looks to Naruto with a large smile across his face, "Naruto I have to agree, you have been gone too long and it is just very refreshing to see you in here again. I mean, don't get me wrong, it is great to have Sakura-sama in here every day, but it is just good to have an old face back here!"

Sakura blushes at the shopkeepers comments as Naruto sits beside her, dumbfounded. "Sakura-sama? What are you talking about?"

Sakura is quick to interrupt, "Oh it's nothing, don't worry about it."

The shopkeeper takes a small amount of offence as he is quick to tell Naruto of some things he has missed. "Not a big deal? Naruto, let me tell you something. Ever since you left the village and so many of the young genin have been out on missions, Sakura-sama has become one of the most respected young people in the village. She has been doing house calls for the Hokage to treat minor health problems for some of the villagers." The shop owner points to the back of his hand which has the remnants of a healing scar on it. "She was sent over here by the Hokage to come and fix my hand after I accidentally burned it when I wash splashed by some boiling water."

Sakura blushes again and just tries to continue eating her noodles, although she finds it hard with such a big smile on her face.

"Sakura-chan! That's great! I guess training under granny Tsunade was a great idea after all. I mean you have gotten a lot stronger since we last saw each other, and now I hear that you are almost as highly praised in this village as the Hokage herself! This is great!" Naruto says as he throws his arms up in the air in celebration.

"That's right Naruto," The shop keeper says, "Sakura-sama has been doing great things in this village. She can't walk down the merchant's street without being showered with free gifts! Why just, the other day I noticed an old lady giving her a bouquet of flowers for helping her son out with broken leg!"

"Ok stop!" Sakura shouts, still with a smile on her face. "Let's just eat!"

The two men nod their heads in approval as Naruto gets back to his ramen, and the shop keeper gets back to work. Naruto still finds himself smiling upon the much more mature Sakura as he continues eating his ramen. Suddenly Naruto realizes that with both of their spirits so high, this may be the time to finally talk to her.

"_She is still as pretty as she was a year ago . . . maybe even more so. I have to tell her how I feel about her. If I don't do it before I have to get back to training with Ero-sensei, I will have to wait another two years before I get the chance again." _As he notices Sakura reaching the end of her bowl he prepares the words in his mouth, but is interrupted before he can speak.

"Wow, this is a first, I am almost done before you are even half way Naruto!" Sakura says with a mouth full of noodles, "What's the matter? Did your appetite change during your training too?"

Naruto smiles and returns to eating his Ramen, _"She is even making jokes now! I have to tell her how I feel. All right . . . here it goes . . ." _Naruto puts his chopsticks down and it becomes apparent to Sakura that he wants to say something. He taps his fingers together gently and his face becomes flushed as he starts to sweat.

"What's the matter?" Asks Sakura.

The shopkeeper has been listening in on the conversation and watching Naruto casually. He lets out a bit of a chuckle to himself as he knows what is wrong with Naruto.

"Sakura-chan . . . I . . . wanted to tell you something . . . So I better do it now before it gets too late . . . cause I never know when Ero-sensei is gonna just pack up and head back out for more training . . . So here it goes . . ." Naruto turns around on his stool and faces Sakura, "I wanted to tell you . . . that . . . I . . ."

Before Naruto can finish, the bell attached to the tarp of the ramen shop rings, signifying that someone else has entered the ramen shop. Naruto's eyes begin to bulge out of his head in anger as he knows the dark figure that has entered and interrupted his big moment.

"Y-you! What do you want!" Naruto curses.

Sakura turns around herself to see Toshida standing inside the ramen shop, loaming over both the leaf genins, casting a dark shadow over the both of them. "Y-you! Why are you here?" Sakura asks.

Toshida does not even acknowledge Sakura's words as his face remains stern and serious as he directs all focus to Naruto. "You and I need to talk kid . . . alone." Toshida says to the now furious Naruto. Toshida then looks down to Sakura as he removes his hat, and then bows before her. "I am sorry miss, but could you give Naruto and I a moment alone?"

"S-sure . . ." Sakura says, as she stands up and readies to leave the ramen shop. "I will catch up with you later Naruto. It was nice spending time with you again!"

"W-wait! Sakura-chan!" Naruto says, as he reaches for the leaving Sakura. His path however is blocked by Toshida, who steps in the way.

"Like I said kid, we need to talk. Please just sit down." Toshida points back to Naruto's stool and Naruto retakes his seat. Toshida pulls up a seat next to Naruto as he calls for the shopkeeper. "Excuse me! I will have what he is having." Toshida says, pointing to the half empty bowl in front of Naruto. "And please, another bowl for my . . . associate here."

Naruto almost cracks a smile at the shinobi's unexpected generosity. "Coming right up!" The shopkeeper says as he drops down another round of ramen for the two shinobi.

"So what is it you would like to talk to me about?" Naruto asks as he shovels more ramen into his mouth. "And it better be good."

"You and I got off to a rough start, and I admit that is my fault." The Shopkeeper places a fresh bowl of Ramen in front of Toshida. "Thank you. You and I Naruto, are so much alike that it is almost frightening. We were both cursed from birth to be cages for angry beasts. I cannot imagine how life has been for you I know for me it was indeed difficult, I just hope that things have been easier for you then they were for me." Toshida looks to Naruto and notices that Naruto has barely been paying attention to anything that Toshida has said.

"I'm sorry what did you say?" Asks Naruto, still chewing a mouthful of ramen.

"Never mind, you idiot." Toshida says, as he eats some of his own noodles. "You and I seem to have been almost destined to meet one another Naruto. I want you to tell me all that you know about that demon inside of you."

"And why should I tell you anything?"

"I'm asking you to enlighten me Naruto. You may hold the key to my future Naruto, and I ensure you, that I don't mean you any harm."

"Well back in the forest you could have fooled me."

"Believe me Naruto, if I had meant to harm you back in the forest, you would not be sitting here right now."

"Point taken. Well I don't really know much about how it happened. It happened shortly after I was born from what I have been told. The nine-tails invaded the village and attacked many of the villagers. Many shinobi died trying to stop it, but now one was able to stop it. And then the 4th Hokage showed up . . ."

"The 4th Hokage? What was his name?"

Naruto stops himself in the middle of his reply as he thinks to himself and realizes, "Actually, I don't really know what his real name was. All I know is that when he showed up, he somehow managed to seal the nine-tails inside of me."

"He sealed it inside of you? But why? Why did he choose you?"

Naruto finds himself at a loss for words yet again, and he begins to scratch the back of his head as he lets out a dumbfounded smile. "Well come to think of it, I don't know that either. I just know what I have been told, and I have never really been told the rest of the details."

Toshida shakes his head as he continues devouring his ramen, _"Oh just great. I can see that this kid is not going to be any help at all." _Toshida finishes his dinner and moves his bowl off to the side. "Naruto, where is the 4th Hokage now? Why isn't he still the Hokage of the village?"

Naruto lowers his head and the shopkeeper pauses for a second to remember the fourth's sacrifice. "Well, the fourth died sealing the nine-tails. The sealing technique required him to use his own life as a sacrifice for the technique to work. So he sealed the demon, but gave up his life."

Toshida looks onto Naruto in shock as beads of sweat begin to run down his face, it appears almost as if Toshida has heard some most unexpected news. _"That is why his seal looked that way. It is the death seal! A life must be sacrificed in order make the seal work. Hmpf, no wonder his seal is holding up perfectly, while mine is weakening constantly."_

Toshida rises from his stool and turns around to leave the shop. "Thank you for your time Naruto. I hope that you and I can meet again sometime. We may have more in common than you realize." Naruto says nothing as Toshida leaves the ramen shop and begins walking toward the small pond on the outskirts of the town.

Meanwhile, just outside the Nara household, Shikamaru stands off against Keinea. Both competitors appear exhausted with sweat running down their faces. Shikamaru brandishes an uncharacteristic grimace as he strains to defeat his worthy opponent.

"_His movements are so fast. He always seems to know my next move, knowing where I am going to strike and how I will react to it. This guy is good." _Shikamaru says to himself as he tries to calculate his next move.

Across from him, Keinea shares similar thoughts, _"He is always one step ahead. His calculations and strategies are almost impossible to keep up with. I am just barely managing to keep up with him. One wrong move and I will . . . I will . . ."_

Suddenly Keinea curses himself as he realizes that he has made a mistake, and this time there is nothing he can do to stop for his eventual defeat. Shikamaru's face lights up as he to has come to the same realization.

"AHA! SUCCESS! I've got you now!" It is then revealed that most of the two shinobi's attention has been directed at a shogi board. "Game over! Finally, after two and a half hours this game is over."

"Wh-what!" Keinea screams, "I lost! I never lose! What the hell are you?"

"You did a great job my friend. You and I will have to play again sometime."

Keinea calms down and casually admits defeat. "I would enjoy that. It is not often that I meet someone that matches me in shogi. The next time, we will find out who is better, hopefully you didn't just get lucky."

Shikamaru waves goodbye to Keinea as he makes his way down the street from the Nara household. As he walks along the streets, he can see Naruto at the far end of the road leaving the ramen shop.

"_Oh great. I hate that damn kid. If it wasn't getting late, I would challenge him for a rematch right here in the streets." _As Keinea walks closer to Naruto, he notices that someone is watching Naruto from behind a building about a block behind him. _"Hmm? Who is that? Why are they watching this idiot?"_

Naruto lets out a belch as he clutches his now full stomach. "Oh why did I have to eat the second bowl?" Naruto says out loud, causing the person watching him to giggle. Naruto hears the laughter and turns around quickly to see who was making the noise. But before Naruto can make eye contact, the figure has retreated to behind the building. Naruto shrugs it off and continues on his way.

As Keinea draws closer to Naruto, he notices the figure moving from building to building, staying out of Naruto's line of sight. Whenever Naruto would turn around, the figure would step behind a building to avoid being seen.

"_Hmm. Who is following him? It is obvious that they aren't a skilled shinobi or anything. If so, they are really bad. So it isn't like they are trying to hurt him. But why follow him and be so secretive about it? Meh, whatever."_

As Keinea and Naruto meet up with one another, neither moves out of the others way and both find themselves at a stare down in the middle of the street. Naruto does not take his eyes off of Keinea, and Keinea does not fold either. Both shinobi stand at roughly the same height and both seem ready to attack one another at a moment's notice.

Naruto is the first one to break the silence, "Is there a problem pal?"

"You owe me a rematch sometime kid." Keinea says as he raises a finger pointing at Naruto. "You may have had the edge over me back at the stadium, but I was under orders to throw the fight. So let's just see who would win when it counts."

"What is stopping you from starting that fight now?" Naruto asks, not phasing at all in the face of the shinobi.

"The fact that I am a guest in your country and in your village. There are ANBU members watching me at all times and I am sure that it would be counter productive to get in a fight with one of the leaf's golden boys."

"Well then why don't we go outside of the village and take care of things right now?"

"Soon you little punk. Soon enough. But for now, brother needs to be on the best possible grounds with both you, and your superiors. So it will just have to wait." Keinea looks over Naruto's shoulder and notices the figure still watching Naruto like a hawk. "That and you are being followed by someone behind that building over there."

The figure tries to hide, knowing that they have been discovered, but Naruto turns around and calls the follower out. "All right, I don't know who you are but get out here right now and tell me why you are following me!"

A soft and high-pitched voice comes from behind the building. "Sorry Naruto-kun . . . I heard you had come back to the village and . . . I just wanted to see how you were . . ." The voice says with a very shy yet cute tone. The figure steps out from the shadow of the building and shows a young girl with shoulder length black hair, wearing a white kimono, with a leaf village head protector hanging from around her neck.

Naruto looks confused for a second as he walks closer, squinting in an attempt to identify the strange shinobi who refuses to look at Naruto. "Wait a second, is that you?" The figure's eyes become visible in the setting sun, showing the pale white colour of the Hyuuga clans trademark bloodline. "It's you Hinata! I didn't recognize you with your hair being so much longer. It looks good on you!"

Hinata blushes as she smiles with delight having heard a compliment from the young man that has unwittingly owned her heart since they first met. "Th-thank you Naruto-kun. How has the last year been for you?"

"Oh it is such a long story I will have to tell you some other time." Naruto then realizes he has left Keinea behind him possibly awaiting a chance to attack. As Naruto turns around quickly and at the ready, he notices that Keinea's eyes of opened wide as he cannot stop looking at Hinata.

"_What . . . lovely eyes . . . She must be from the Hyuuga clan. I have never seen a female from that clan. Her hair is so dark and smooth . . . she looks like an angel . . ."_

Keinea begins to slip away as he finds himself falling madly in love with the young shinobi. Naruto snaps his fingers in front of Keinea's face, bringing him back to reality and sending an embarrassed blush to his cheeks.

"Hey! Are you ok? What are you staring at?" Naruto asks. Keinea shakes his head and returns to his senses.

Hinata looks to Keinea and finds him to be an interesting looking young man. _"Who is he? Why is he staring at me like that? He seems kind of rugged . . . but he seems nice enough."_

Keinea stammers as he realizes that Hinata has noticed him staring at her, "S-sorry, but I have to be going!" Keinea runs off down the path he was following, leaving Hinata and Naruto alone and confused.

"Hmm, I wonder what his problem is?" Naruto asks scratching his head in confusion.

Hinata walks closer to Naruto, her hands in front of her chest and his index fingers pushing against one another. She continues to avoid eye contact with Naruto as she begins to ask him something. "N-Naruto-kun . . . would you like to . . . come over for a cup of tea this evening?"

"Well, sure I . . ." Hinata's face lights up as she hears words of acceptance coming from Naruto. However, Naruto does not finish what he is saying as something has caught his attention.

"What is it Naruto-kun" Hinata asks, searching around their immediate area for anything out of the ordinary. "What's wrong?"

"Do you hear that?" Naruto says, as he concentrates harder trying to locate the sound that he is hearing.

"I don't hear anything." Hinata says just seconds before she too begins to hear the faint sound of something in the distance. "Wait. I hear it too. What is it?"

"I think it is music. But where is it coming from?"

"It's coming from the pond!" Hinata says, just as Naruto had begun moving in the direction of the pond. _"Go figure. He is back in town for a few days . . . I finally gather up the courage . . . I have him all alone . . . and now this!"_

As the two shinobi move closer to the pond they can hear the noise getting louder and louder, telling them that they are going in the right direction. As the sound gets louder, it also becomes clearer. The music is being made by a single flute that is echoing across the pond. The song itself, is beautiful, but sounds like a tragic tune that just emits feelings of sadness and sorrow to anyone that hears it. As Naruto and Hinata begin to see the pond in view, they notice that Sakura has also heard the music and is standing a few dozen metres back from the water's edge, hiding behind some bushes in hopes that the musician does not see her.

As Hinata and Naruto reach Sakura, both of them kneel down behind the bushes and look out onto the pond where a solo dark silhouette stands in the middle with his hair and trench coat blowing in the wind. Naruto can easily make out from the glare off of the water, caused by the setting sun, that the man is Toshida.

Hinata watches the shinobi closely bringing her clutched hands up to her lips. "It's . . . It's . . ."

"Beautiful" Sakura says, "who would have known that Toshida guy was capable of something so pretty."

Naruto's face contorts in a smug view as he turns his head from Sakura, "Well it isn't that great!"

"Yes it is Naruto don't be jealous." Sakura scolds Naruto causing him to become even more angry at Sakura's fascination with the flute playing Toshida.

Toshida stands at the centre of the pond with his hair still blowing in the wind and his flute clutching firmly in his hands and pressed gently against his lips. His face reveals the stoic look that Toshida has become known for. However, this time his face shows a darkness more tragic then all of the expressions he has ever displayed. He looks almost as if he is close to tears as he plays his flute with intense passion.

"It's such a lovely tune. Yet it's so sad . . . I wonder what it is about? And where did he learn to play the flute?" Sakura says to the other two leaf genin crouched beside her. Suddenly a voice from behind them gives her an answer.

"It was our mother that taught him." The voice comes from behind a tree next to the bushes where the genin had been hiding. Keinea steps out from behind the tree as he walks toward the shore of the lake with the three curious genin following close behind.

"It was your mother that taught him to play that?" Sakura asks, "It is such a sad tune. What is it about?"

"The song is called "We love, we lose" Toshida wrote it himself. Mom taught him to play the flute and even taught Toshida how to make his own. But it was brother that came up with that song."

Hinata offers a comment, "He plays with such passion and emotion . . . and to play such a sad song . . . is there a story behind it?"

_(Authors Note: Queue; "Sadness and Sorrow" from the Naruto OST)_

Keinea lowers his head as he starts to become overwhelmed with emotion. Tears fill his eyes and he clutches his fists together. "Brother . . . never cries. He has always been that way. He was raised from birth to be a shinobi and he has never known anything else. He never went to an academy, or learned to fight with a team by his side like you guys did. He has always been alone. Never known love from anyone, other then our mom. When she taught him to play the flute it was a happy time for us. And then one day everything changed . . ."

Keinea's tears roll down his cheeks as he remembers so many things that he and his brother have had to go through. "But even if people said things to the contrary, my brother is still a human being. He has feelings . . . emotions . . . hopes and dreams. But he was robbed of that before he was even born! He has had to go through hell, time and time again."

Sakura, Hinata, and Naruto cannot help but be moved by Keinea's outpouring of emotion, and none of them dare to say anything as they let the young man pour his heart out. "Brother wrote that song as a way of coping with his feelings. He was taught from birth to never cry no matter what the situation. A shinobi must have a heart that does not show tears remember? So that song is an out pouring of everything that builds up in my brothers heart. Every note is like a thousand tears that have been with held for too long. I have seen a lot of horrible things in my young life, but one thing I know for sure . . . is that seeing a shinobi cry is one of the most heart wrenching things that anyone should have to see."

"Regardless of how old they are, the way of the shinobi is too heartbreaking to watch sometimes. Whenever I hear that song . . . I feel as if my brother is crying out to the world through song to anybody that will listen . . . like he feels it is the only shinobi like thing he can do to atone for what he has done."

"What has he done?" Naruto asks, "What does he have to be so ashamed of?"

"The massacre at Tarawa Creek?" Sakura asks. "I heard Kakashi-sensei talking about it."

"Yea . . . Tarawa creek." Keinea says as he wipes the tears from his eyes. "All I will say, is that after hearing that song so many times over these past few years I know one thing for certain . . . Sometimes I feel like I would rather spend a thousand years in hell, then have to listen to that tragic song again."

Keinea then abruptly leaves the scene, leaving the three genin to watch Toshida finish playing his sad tune. As Toshida finishes, the three genin decide to call it a night and they all leave the pond, and return home.

Meanwhile, on the pond, Toshida returns his flute to the satchel located just under his sheath strapped to his back. He looks out from the corner of his eye and notices Kakashi standing just behind him in the centre of the lake.

"It was a lovely tune." Kakashi says, as he walks toward Toshida. "I think it is time that you tell me what I want to know."

"Ah yes, the Battle at Tarawa Creek." Toshida pulls his hat up from off of his back and begins to walk toward the shore with Kakashi following close behind. The two reach the shoreline and Toshida perches himself on the low branch of a tree near the shore of the pond.

"So are you going to tell me what I want to know or not?"

"I don't suppose I have a choice do I?" Toshida lowers his head and takes a deep breath. "All right . . . where do you want me to start?"

"Just, start at the beginning. I want to know everything, how you came to be . . . up to how you came to be in this village."


	15. Hard Issues, Harder Feelings

_**Chapter 15: Hard Issues, Harder Feelings**_

The leaf's special jounin Hatake Kakashi sat calmly on a log, listening to every word that his latest assignment had to say. Akira Toshida, the mysterious nin from the prison colony known as the village of sin, remains perched on the branch of the nearby tree, towering over the large pond on the borders of the leaf village. Kakashi's assignment: Ensure that Toshida does not become a threat to the rest of the village. If he does, Kakashi's orders are to eliminate that threat at all costs.

"It is getting late Kakashi." Toshida says, as he drops from the tree and lands firmly on the soft ground moistened by a recent rain storm. "I will tell you everything you wish to know, so keep that in mind before you start getting impatient. But you will have to wait for another day."

"I don't care if you are tired or not. I had comrades at Tarawa Creek and I want to know what happened to them!" Kakashi firmly states as he places a hand firmly on Toshida's left shoulder. "Don't turn your back to me kid. Tell me what I want to know, now!"

Toshida glances at the hand firmly grasping his shoulder and a confident smirk crosses over his face as he closes his eyes for a brief second before turning his attention to the leaf jounin. Kakashi looks on in surprise as Toshida's eyes slowly change from the calm and stoic brown, to the menacing and piercing green glare of the ryuugan eye. The iris of the ryuugan glows vibrantly with the green glow of the dragon's chakra and spirit, as the pupil thins and lengthens vertically. After several seconds of the intense visual showdown, Kakashi removes his hand from Toshida's shoulder and Toshida takes his leave, stopping several meters away from Kakashi.

"Believe me when I say this Kakashi," Toshida then turns around slightly to face Kakashi as he speaks in an ominous tone. "If I do decide eventually to tell you what happened that day, I guarantee, that you would have been happier living in ignorance."

Toshida's remarks catch Kakashi off guard and underneath his ever present mask, Kakashi's teeth begin to grind. "You know nothing about me boy, The leaf lost many shinobi that day and so did the cloud!" Kakashi's words fail to phase Toshida's stoic glare. "Many of those shinobi were my comrades, and I have had to live with the fact that I wasn't there to fight along side them in their last moments."

Toshida's head lowers and his eyes close, his stoic look becoming an evident frown as he remembers numerous painful memories. "And I've had to live . . . with knowing that I was there . . . during their last moments . . . and the last moments of many others. So don't talk to me about some burden you carry from your youth. Because I can guarantee that our burdens are beyond comparison."

Toshida quickly turns and leaves the area, leaving Kakashi behind, with many questions left still unanswered. He too takes his leave and returns to his place for the evening, leaving Toshida to his own recognizance as night fell upon the leaf village.

_(Music: "Yuugure" from the Naruto OST)_

The next morning the leaf genin and the sin shinobi all sit just outside of the Nara household. Shikamaru and Keinea continue there on going games of shogi, while Hinata and Maea enjoy a friendly conversation. Toshida sits by himself in a slightly meditative state, his arms and legs crossed in front of him and his eyes closed. His expression is calm and as always, even as he can hear Sakura walking toward him attempting to be as quiet and stealthy as possible in case Toshida was in serious meditation.

"Can I help you Sakura-san?" Toshida asks, startling the young leaf genin who tried her best not to disturb the focused sin shinobi.

"I-I'm sorry Toshida-san I didn't mean to disturb you, I thought you were asleep, or meditating or something, I didn't want to break your concentration." Sakura exclaims quickly waving her hands in front of her, oblivious to the fact that Toshida's eyes are still closed.

"I wasn't asleep or mediating at all. In fact, I was simply listening."

"Listening?" Sakura asks, "Listening to what?"

"Nothing actually . . . hmpf . . . and everything at the same time. I suppose it's all based on how you look at it." Toshida explains as a grin crosses over his face.

"Everything and nothing? I don't understand."

"I'm sorry, let me explain. Since arriving in this village, we have not had to worry about being hunted or chased and we haven't had to keep our guard of full alert. This is one of the first times in many years that I have simply been able to just admire everything around me."

"But this is just the village. What is there to admire exactly?"

"Everything and nothing at the same time Sakura-san. The hummingbird at the rear of the house, The chipmunks fighting over food in the trees to your left, the sound of the wind blowing, or the rustling of the leafs as the wind passes by them. It's listening to everything that is going on at once, but listening to nothing in particular at the time. To me, they are some of the most beautiful sounds imaginable."

Sakura looks onto the enigmatic nin astonished as she looks around to verify all the sounds that he mentioned. "I never looked at it that way. That's incredible. You were able to hear all of that without focusing in on any particular sound?"

"Yes. But you didn't come over here just for me to tell you what I was doing. Is there something I can do for you Sakura-san?"

Sakura stammers for a minute as she tries to remember why it was that she came over to Toshida in the first place. "Um . . . Oh yea. I am sorry if I am prying at all but I wanted to ask you something."

"Of coarse Sakura-san, what did you wish to ask me?"

"I noticed when you first arrived in the village that you did not seem to have any scars on your body at all. Being a seasoned shinobi, I find it hard to believe that someone like you could get through all of your battles without a scratch. After learning more about Naruto and the kyuubi, I learned that his massive chakra heals his wounds almost as fast as they are inflicted. So I assume that you are the same considering that you have a demon just like Naruto's inside of you."

Toshida laughs briefly at the power of Sakura's deductive skills. "That's correct Sakura-san. Good work. I do heal a lot faster than the average person because of this thing. But if you already figured all this out, then what is it you have to ask me?"

"I was wondering why, if all of your wounds heal so fast, do you have such a large scar along the base of your hairline?"

Toshida's heart slows down and his eyes open as he lowers his head, more painful memories flooding back into the forefront of his mind. "It doesn't heal . . . because I keep it from healing." Toshida says, as his eyes stare off into nothingness, his mind wandering as the memories of Tarawa creek race across his mind's eye.

"Keep it from healing? But why would you want to keep such a scar from healing? It doesn't look that deep. I am sure that it could heal just fine on its own. Are you saying you choose to keep it from healing on its own?"

_(Music: Que "Sadness and Sorrow" from the Naruto OST )_

"Some scars run deeper than the flesh young medic. When training to be a medical nin, one of the first lessons they teach you, is that a scar is only the visual surface of the damage done. That the damage runs deeper then what you can see, and that you need to repair the damage done below the surface and let the body take care of the rest. But what they don't teach you . . . is that some scars never heal . . . and although the damage has been repaired and the scars have disappeared . . . the body never forgets what happened to it, and the flesh remains stiff and scar tissue under the skin still remains."

Sakura looks on as Toshida closes his eyes yet again and it becomes blatantly evident to Sakura that Toshida's past is darker then she can fathom.

"Medical jutsu is used to heal the body from damage . . . but no jutsu can heal the mind. Sometimes even the smallest injuries can never heal if the mind has sustained damage . . ."

Sakura's concern becomes evident as she too can remember emotional wounds she suffered in the past. Thoughts of Sasuke's departure from the village flood through Sakura's mind, and although she didn't suffer any injuries during the exchange, her mental wounds have also never healed. _"When Sasuke-kun left Konoha . . . I was powerless to keep him from going. Even pouring out everything I kept in my heart all that time, couldn't keep him from going to Orochimaru. I haven't gotten over that . . . and it was over a year ago." _Sakura puts aside her reminiscing aside for a moment and returns her focus to Toshida. "What happened to you?"

Toshida pauses for a second and begins rubbing the scar on the back of his neck as he remembers where he got the scar. A large naginata (A Japanese spear used for slicing) striking him at the base of his hairline, splitting his flesh open and sending him to the ground splashing blood across the already soiled ground. "It was during a great battle. I kept the scar from healing so that I would never forget what happened that day."

Suddenly the silence between the two shinobi is broken by a loud and shrill call coming from down the street as Konoha's number one loudest ninja runs toward the Nara household. "GOOOOOOOODD MMMMOOOOOOOORRRNNNNNNNIIIIINNNGGGGGGGGGG SAKURA-CHAN!"

The entire ensemble of leaf and sin shinobi direct their attention to the loud rambles of the approaching Naruto. "Boy it sure is a nice day out isn't it? What's everybody up to? Me and Ero-sensei have to be headed out in a few days so I would love to be able to play catch up with everyone before I have to go! Hey Shikamaru, what's up Hinata?"

Sakura interjects and leaves the dreary conversation with Toshida. "Naruto will you relax! You keep jumping between statements and questions without a break. You don't allow anyone to give a response!"

Keinea stares at Naruto with a glare of annoyance and grits his teeth at every word leaving the annoying shinobi's mouth. _"How can anyone stand this guy? How can someone this idiotic have been able to beat me back at the tournament?" _Keinea then quickly finds his attention drawn to the long-haired Hinata who has taken up her trademark pose with both fingers pushing against one another as she blushes while watching Naruto. _"Dammit. And she loves this guy! How could anyone, especially someone so beautiful . . . be attracted to this buffoon!"_

"So what is everyone up to today Sakura-chan?" Naruto asks again.

"I am not sure." Sakura looks around to the others in the group and then shakes her head. "I'm not sure what everyone else is doing but after lunch I am going to go visit Ino in the hospital and see if she is doing any better."

Naruto's face shows signs of concern as he remembers hearing about the accident in the forest that sent Ino into her current comatose state. "She hasn't recovered yet has she?"

"Unfortunately no. Even Tsunade-sama doesn't understand why it is that she is still unconscious. She is in perfect physical health . . . but her mind . . . seems to have suffered more damage then we can understand.

Meanwhile, in Ino's hospital room Chouji has not left her side for even a moment since she was admitted. He sits in a comfortable chair with his feet resting on the windowsill as he stares off blankly into the village. As he tries to remain awake, he can see the children at the academy playing outside during their break. He can see the regular commerce of the village proceeding as usual, with people buying and trading in the marketplace and the regular customers visiting the Ichiraku ramen stand. Chouji's mind wavers from his nonchalant reconnaissance of the village as the sound of his rumbling stomach becomes too much to ignore.

"Awww." Chouji says aloud, "Still so hungry after two bags of potato chips. Oh well, the ramen stand isn't far." Chouji moves closer to Ino's bed side and grabs onto Ino's hand, cradling it in his own. "Don't worry," the husky genin says, "I'll be back soon."

Chouji leaves the room and makes his way down the street toward the Ichiraku ramen stand. Meanwhile, Ino's subconscious mind races as he dreams remain haunted by the visions she saw in that brief moment inside Toshida's mind. Her expression begins to grimace and for the first time in more than a week, Ino shows movement in her hands and lets out a number of solemn whimpers. Her eyes begin to flicker and the hospital white hospital lights begin to shine into her eyes that only remain open for milliseconds at a time. Her movements begin to intensify as the visions in her head become more and more vivid. Sounds of screaming and clanging metal echo through her mind, and visions of death and destruction passes through her minds eye like a flip book of pictures and still images, memories of the dragons past . . . and secrets of the dragon's mind all revealed without her even knowing it.

Minutes later Ino thrusts up forward into a sitting position in her bed with her head and hair hanging in front. Her breathing labored and a cold sweat running down her face with her eyes wide open staring off in horror into nothing at all.

Chouji slowly makes his way back into the hospital with a bowl of pork flavored ramen placed in a container for him to take with him, and a drink to go with it. He makes his way up the stairs and around the hallways and finally opens the door to Ino's room.

Ino screams as Chouji enters the room, startling him and sending the ramen to the ground as Chouji screams in return. Ino backs up as far as she can in her bed but loses her balance and falls out of her bed hitting the floor hard before backing up quickly and cowering in the corner of the room. The ramen causes Chouji to slip and he too hits the ground hard, but quickly draws his attention to the frightening Ino.

"Ino? INO! What's wrong? I didn't mean to startle you, are you ok?" Chouji says, as he reaches a hand out toward Ino, who continues cowering in the corner, scared to death of the large but gentle shinobi.

"Go . . . away . . ." Ino says, her voice in a whimper and barely audible.

"Go away?" Chouji backs up just a little bit, but keeps his hand extended toward Ino. "Ino, it's me . . . Chouji. You remember me right? It's ok . . . no one is going to hurt you, not while I'm here, not ever. You're in the hospital back in Konoha, you were attacking and we brought you home to recover." A tear begins to form in the gentle Chouji's eye as the sight of his close friend in such a diminished state tears away at the boy's giant heart.

Chouji moves a little bit closer to Ino slowly and gradually as not to startle the frightened shinobi. Ino cowers further into the corner and raises her hand in an effort to keep Chouji away as she continues her frightened whimpering. The tears fall from Chouji's eyes as he abruptly stops his advance and can only look onto his friend and hope that she will eventually remember him. "Ino . . . It's Chouji . . . I don't want to hurt you . . . don't be afraid of me."

Ino peaks over from underneath her left arm used to block her from making eye contact with Chouji and she takes a look at the crying shinobi. She remains scared but takes a quick look around the room as things start becoming more and more familiar to her. The ceiling, the hospital bed, Chouji's head protector. Finally, she glances over to the trash bin just beside Chouji and notices an empty bag of potato chips crumpled up and thrown in the bin. The sight triggers numerous memories to quickly pass through Ino's mind as she remembers all the times she told Chouji to cut back on the amount of snacks, and to stop eating so many potato chips. Her eyes tear up more and her expression changes as the fear slips away from her face and all that is left is the intense sadness she feels. She begins crying in front of Chouji causing the warm hearted brute to cry as well.

"Chouji . . ." Ino says as she quickly moves toward Chouji with her arms thrust outward. She wraps her arms around Chouji squeezing tightly as she continues to sob. Chouji cradles her in his arms as he tries to comfort the poor girl.

"Its ok Ino. You're safe . . . you don't need to worry, you're going to be ok." Chouji's face shows an intense look of determination as he looks up from his embrace and in the back of his mind the only thing he can see . . . Is Toshida's face.

"_I don't care if he is stronger then me Ino . . . I am going to punish that man for doing this to you. I swear it!"_

Meanwhile, back at the Nara household . . .

"Hey Hey, I won!" Naruto says out loud drawing attention from everyone around him. He raises his hands in victory and begins to gloat in front of his opponent, Shikamaru. "I guess you aren't as smart as everyone thinks you are Shikamaru!"

The leaf chuunin is not amused as he lets out his trademark sigh at Naruto's always evident idiocy. "This is why I don't try and teach you anything Naruto, It's far too troublesome. That wasn't your piece that you just moved, you just moved my piece and defeated yourself!"

Naruto maintains his ridiculously large grin on his face and tries not to show any signs of embarrassment as his stupid move was just made public to all those around him. "Ha ha, that's just my way of saying I don't wanna play anymore! Next time we play Shikamaru I'll get you don't you worry!"

Toshida cannot help but let out a smirk at the situation and he opens his eyes again and rises up from his sitting position and turns his attention to Sakura. "I enjoyed talking with you today Sakura-san. May we talk again some other time?"

The kind hearted question comes as a surprise to Sakura who finds herself at a loss for words. "I-um . . . I suppose that would be ok. What would we talk about?"

"It doesn't matter to me at all Sakura-san. It has just helped to remind that I am still human, and being acknowledged as one is something I haven't had over the years. But or conversation will have to wait for another time. I am afraid we have so research to do today and I would like to get into it as much as possible."

"I understand," Sakura says with a gentle smile, "it isn't hard to find me around here. I look forward to talking with you again."

Maea sits a distance away from the two conversing shinobi with a slight scowl across her face. _"What are they smiling about? What did she say to him? We have work to do. I don't understand why we have to be sitting around here mingling with the leafs when we should be finding a way to help Toshida." _As Maea looks around the area of the Nara household she cannot help but become more inquisitive. "Keinea, where's Toragai? I haven't seen him all morning, do you know where he is?"

Keinea does not answer as his attention is focused purely on the still smiling Naruto. His teeth grind together and the scowl on his face only grows the longer he watches Naruto. _"How could this idiot have beat me back at the tournament? And why does no one seem to care that this kid is a moron!"_

Hinata sits close to Naruto with a smile on her face, one hand clutching at her head protector hanging around her neck and the other hand slowly inching its way to the hand Naruto has placed on the table as he continues laughing over his latest hijinks. "Naruto-kun, I think you'll win next time. You can always do anything that you have set your sights on, this time will be no different, I'm sure of it."

Hinata's remarks catch Naruto off guard and he turns his attention to Hinata who now has a hand placed on Naruto's hand and continues smiling as Naruto makes eye contact. Shikamaru looks on quietly with a subtle smile across his face as he can only wait to see how Naruto reacts.

Naruto looks down to his hand and then back to Hinata's face. "Hinata . . . you're . . ."

Before Naruto can say anything, Keinea kicks over the table in front of Naruto and Shikamaru bringing up an angered objection from Shikamaru and Naruto respectively. "I can't stand this anymore!" Keinea yells out loud staring a hole into the back of Naruto's head. "You are nothing but an idiot and I refuse to believe that you are the one that was able to defeat me one on one in that tournament."

Naruto stands up and comes face to face with Keinea as the situation only intensify's as the two shinobi begin sizing one another up. Naruto's face changes as his childish expression becomes focused on the task at hand, demonstrating his growth in only a year of training as he already subconsciously begins molding chakra in his body allowing him to pull off jutsu much faster and more efficiently.

"If you have a problem with me then we can settle it another time. You guys are our allies right now and I am not going to start fighting in the middle of the street." Naruto's words surprise all the other leafs as he is usually more than willing to start a fight anytime or anywhere.

"If you don't want to fight me, then it is going to be very easy for me to lay a pounding on you!" Keinea says, as he leaps backward and reaches behind and pulls a kunai from his weapon's pouch, hurling it at Naruto at highspeed.

"Oh crap!" Naruto exclaims as he uses his foot to quickly lift the overturned table into the air and into his grasp, barely blocking the kunai as it penetrates and stops just inches away from Naruto's face. He lowers the table just in time to see both Shikamaru and Hinata leaping away, as Keinea comes in fast with his fist drawn back ready to strike.

"Eat this Uzumaki Naruto!" Keinea's fist bursts straight through the table and into Naruto's chest sending him back hard and into the wall of Shikamaru's house. Keinea tries to follow the attack up as he comes in fast with a dropkick. Naruto kicks off the wall and flips over Keinea's head dodging the attack. Keinea kicks off the wall as well and moves in fast to keep up his attack, thrusting another punch at Naruto who blocks with both arms crossed in front of his chest. The punch sends Naruto flying backward as he slams hard against a nearby tree. He looks up only to see several swirling balls of wind speeding toward him at highspeed.

"_**Kaze No Shuriken!" **(Shuriken of Wind) _Keinea screams as the wind shuriken whip toward Naruto at incredible speed. The shuriken impact hard against Naruto's torso sending him straight through the thick trunk of the tree and then hard into the dirt.

"Stop it, leave him alone!" Sakura yells out loud at the two combatants in vein as Keinea does not let up his assault. "There is no need for this! If one of our superiors see's this both of you will get in serious trouble!"

"Sakura-san, don't waste your time." Toshida says, as he watches the fight unfold before him, shaking his head in disappointment.

"But Naruto isn't fighting back!"

"Then it will be his fault if he gets hurt. Keinea is not the bully type, but he is a proud shinobi. Naruto beat him back at the stadium even after I told Keinea to throw the fight."

"What are you talking about?" Sakura asks as she turns her attention to the elder of the two brothers. "You're saying Naruto didn't really win?"

"Not at all actually, quite the opposite. Our plans called for Keinea to lose the fight so I told him to let Naruto win. But the truth is, Keinea didn't have to let Naruto win at all." Toshida then remembers the finish of the match back at the tournament with Naruto debuting the "Uzumaki Naruto Tebayo Rendan" defeating Keinea in the semifinals of the tournament. "That move took a huge toll on Keinea and he was unable to continue the fight even though at that point, he had a burning desire to finish Naruto off."

"But if he was going to lose anyway then what does matter if he lost fair and square?"

"Keinea doesn't lose Sakura-san. He almost never loses at anything and certainly not in a fight, he is too clever. The only time he ever loses is when he chooses to lose."

"If he chooses to lose? Why would he want to do that?" Sakura asks, as this whole situation becomes more and more confusing.

"If the situation served him better to lose, then he would lose. Bottom line is that Keinea only loses if he wants to lose. Naruto took that privilege away from him and he will give it everything he has to ensure that he regains that privilege. For the first time, he was not in control of the outcome of the match and now he intends to prove that it was just a fluke." Toshida cannot help but shake his head in disapproval at his brothers vanity and almost childish actions. _"It would also appear that he is a sore loser. He isn't even fighting with a calm head, his movements are sloppy and he is getting carried away . . . it is already evident as to who will win this fight."_

"Naruto is kind of headstrong as well. This isn't a very stable situation to have both of their egos contesting with one another. If Keinea-san wants to fight then I am sure that Naruto won't offer much in terms of restraint."

"They are too much alike . . . which is why this is a dangerous situation. And I cannot interject here and neither can anyone else. They will just have to be left to settle it, if they get too heated then I will call Keinea off."

"This situation is starting to get awfully intense for this early in the morning." Sakura says in annoyance as the two fighting is the last thing she would have wanted on such a beautiful day.

"I agree . . . and throwing the Hyuuga girl into the mix is only escalating things." Toshida directs his attention over to the nervous Hinata clutching both her hands up in front of her chest as she cannot help but be worried at the dispute that has erupted partially because of her.

"You mean that Keinea . . . ?" Sakura asks.

Toshida stammers slightly as he is a tad bit embarrassed at the fact that his brother would fight over something so petty. "Y-yes I am afraid my brother has grown quite found of Hinata-chan."

"Aww that's cute!" Sakura says, as a smile comes over her face for the first time during this confrontation. It quickly fades away as she realizes that the two are fighting because of her. "Seems kind of silly to be fighting of a girl! But still it is kind of cute."

Toshida rolls his eyes, _"Pfft . . . women."_

Keinea and Naruto stand at a distance of roughly fifty meters from one another, eyeing each other up with the utmost precision, trying to predict what the others next move will be. Naruto cracks a smile and has a delayed blink of the eyes before he addresses the angry Keinea.

"I don't want to fight you, but it looks like you won't take no for an answer."

Keinea only grinds his teeth more as he looks over to see Hinata with her eyes focused diligently on Naruto as he speaks. "You're damn right I won't take no for an answer! We settle this NOW!" Keinea then reaches behind and pulls out his kunai and places the handle in his mouth as Naruto reaches into his pouch and pulls out three shuriken in his right hand.

_(Music: Que "The Kinslayer" by Nightwish)_

Meanwhile, Shikamaru looks on at the damage already done to the outside of his house, the broken table and the two combatants readying for a fight. He lets out his trademark sigh as he can only shake his head and watch it all unfold. "Man . . . how troublesome."

_(Music Time: 00:20)_

Keinea and Naruto begin their charge at one another, both unleashing a series of hand seals as they charge toward one another. Naruto completes his sequence of seals first,_ Ox, Dog, Dragon, Rat, Dog, Boar, Serpent, Tiger_, and then throws his shuriken in front of him to complete the jutsu.

"_**Shuriken Kage Bunshin No Jutsu"** (Shuriken Shadow Clone) _Dozens of shuriken then appear out of nowhere and fly toward Keinea as he finishes his seal sequence, _Rat, Boar, Dragon, Tiger, Bird, Monkey, Bird, Hare, Ram, _he finishes the technique with a hand clap as he stares down along the tips of his fingers at the shuriken that are only roughly three meters from him. He slams his hands down to the ground and in the blink of an eye, the air in the area is sucked in toward Keinea and all the oxygen particles form together and form almost into an invisible blanket that then rises up like a tidal wave several meters in the air. As the Shuriken pass into the blanket their trajectory takes a steep decline and all of them plummet to the ground, dispelling a second later.

"**_Koumitsu No jutsu_**" _(High density technique) _Keinea shouts as a smile brandishes across his face. It soon fades however as he starts another charge and another sequence of hand seals. Naruto leaps backward several meters as Keinea's technique caught him by surprise. He throws another set of three shuriken toward Keinea as he continues his seal sequence, and Naruto begins one of his own, pulling out a sequence of seals so fast that it surprises even Toshida. _Rat, Boar, Tiger, Dragon, Horse, Bird, middle index cross, Tiger, Ram._

Toshida looks on in awe at Naruto's speed in seals and he cannot help but be curious as to the third last seal in the sequence. _"The middle index cross is the seal used for controlling the shadow replication technique . . . something that kid uses often. But I know that seal sequence and that seal is not part of it. What the hell is he up to?"_

"**_Gensundai Shuriken no jutsu_**" _(Full size Shuriken technique)_ Naruto's jutsu causes the shuriken to increase in size and mass by more then ten times, sending three shuriken the size of those used by Mizuki, steaming toward Keinea and only increasing in momentum as the move closer. Keinea is caught by surprise and slams his feet forward halting his forward momentum and causing him to cut his seal sequence short as he slams his hands down to the ground yet again.

"**_Hyouton: Joushou Aisu Hashira_** _(Ice Element: Rising Ice Pillars) _Several columns of jagged ice then form out of nowhere and then rise to defend Keinea. The pillars are several inches thick and manage to stop the first two shuriken in their tracks, but as the third one comes in closer Keinea then notices that the shuriken has slightly changed its direction so that it would rise just above the pillars. Confused, Keinea pumps more chakra into the pillars in an attempt to raise the pillars, as something doesn't seem right. It is too late however as the shuriken passes over the pillars.

The shuriken disappears in a puff of smoke and suddenly Keinea looks up to see Naruto diving downward toward him. The "original" Naruto then also disperses in a puff of smoke, as the real Naruto lunges toward Keinea with a powerful punch lined up and ready to strike. Keinea cannot react as the punch connects straight on with his face knocking him to the ground. Naruto's smile soon changes to a look of surprise as Keinea disappears leaving only a bunch of logs in his stead as the Kawarimi no jutsu was a success.

Naruto turns around only to see the pillars of ice being obliterated by dozens of Wind shuriken. He leaps out of the way and looks up to see the oncoming Keinea with his kunai drawn. Naruto answers by drawing his own kunai, and a shinobi style knife fight erupts. The two exchange a number of slashes and stabs both trying to get a critical hit in on the other. The two seem evenly matched in the knife wielding department and it isn't until Naruto is able to land a well placed kick to the wrist that the knife fight stops. The kick sends Keinea's kunai flying and Naruto tries to follow up with a lunging strike of his own, only to have his momentum used against him as Keinea grabs his wrist and is able to send him to the ground using a judo style flip. As Naruto rises to his feet both fighters are at a stare down, waiting for the other fighter to make the next move in the sequence.

_(Music Time: 2:02-2:13) _

After the brief intermission in the fighting the two charge yet again demonstrating both of their talents in the art of taijutsu. Naruto focusing on using a series of well-timed punches and back hand swipes, aiming high as to try and take Keinea out one try, while Keinea uses kicks. Aiming low to try and off set Naruto's balance and following up with a more devastating technique. Naruto blocks the kicks as best he can, using both the bottom of his feet to halt the progression of the kick, and using his hands to force Keinea's foot backward in an effort to catch him off balance. Keinea's countering shows more of a finesse as he tries to keep the punches from making any impact with his body at all or using his forearms to parry Naruto's onslaught.

The two then kick off and get some distance between them before they start to run further into the forest. Running parallel to one another as even in running they try to out do the other. Naruto is the first to break as he heads to the air in an effort to get the drop on Keinea. He lands in a tree and readies two kunai to attack Keinea with. Keinea notices Naruto's action and then crosses his middle and index fingers in between one another in front of his chest in an "X" formation.

"_**Rai Bunshin No Jutsu" **(Lightning Clone technique) _All of a sudden Keinea is surrounded by four lightning clones all with Kunai drawn and ready to fight. Naruto throws his two kunai at two of the clones that just stand by and allow the kunai to make direct hits. The clones do not dispel and the kunai remain lodged in the clones chests resonating with electricity as they then begin their charge. The clones and Keinea all begin to advance on Naruto who can only dodge by leaping from tree to tree in an effort not to make contact with the clones, as he remembers the damage that the clones are capable of from the example back at the tournament. The clones all try to make physical contact with Naruto, trying to electrocute him with a single blow. Naruto manages to dodge in a pattern swift and clever enough so that two of the clones leap at one another and collide in mid air. However instead of the two clones dispelling, the simply form into one single clone before continuing its pursuit.

Naruto spins around quickly and throws yet another kunai at the clone behind him, striking it in the chest, but bringing about no reaction from the clone. After the Kunai connects Naruto turns around with a smile on his face and spreads his arms out wide allowing the clone a clean shot at his torso. The clone strikes without fear or apprehension and sends electricity through Naruto's entire body. Naruto's smile does not leave his face as he then disappears in a puff of smoke leaving the clone confused and on the hunt yet again.

"_Dammit another shadow clone" _Keinea curses to himself as he searches the forest looking for the real Naruto to show himself. _"I can never even tell when he makes the switch between himself and the clones. He may be a one trick dog, but at least he uses it well." _Keinea searches around the forest and only see's the three lightning clones he created. As he continues his search, he notices the kunai stuck in all of the clones chests, and finally Naruto's battle plan becomes evident. "Dammit! He marked them!" Keinea shouts as he leaps down from the tree he was perched on and begins to run toward the outskirts of the forest. He looks behind him for a brief second to see if Naruto was in pursuit. Seeing nothing, he turns about only to see Naruto waiting only a few feet away with his arm swung behind him ready for a strike. Keinea does everything in his power to stop his momentum, but it is all too little too late as Naruto swings his arm outward revealing the swirling blue orb of chakra in his right hand as it thunders toward Keinea.

"SHIT!" Keinea exclaims as the attack moves to only inches from his stomach, as Naruto screams out loud.

"_**RASENGAN!"**_

_(Music Ends)_


	16. A New Mission, The Journey Begins

_**Chapter 16: A New Mission, The Journey Begins**_

The shinobi of the leaf and sin stand in the utmost suspense as Naruto's Rasengan stops only inches away from the center of Keinea's chest. Keinea's face glistens as beads of sweat drips down from his forehead, dropping to the ground as if in slow-motion as his fate lies in the restraint as the new and improved Uzumaki Naruto.

Naruto on the other hand has a demeanor of confidence, uncharacteristically cold and focused as he maintains the energy of one of the 4th Hokage's signature jutsu's swirling in his hand. "It's over." He says as he powers the technique down and dispels the chakra in his right hand, as he rises from his crouching position and stands at eye level with a now furious Keinea. Naruto closes his eyes as he turns his back to the sin shinobi and begins to walk away as Keinea can only stand by and watch as his opponent walks away from him, having allowed Keinea to survive the battle with no more then a few bruises and scratches.

"_Damn it. He could have ended this fight easily. He was in full control . . . DAMN IT!" _Keinea can only curse under his breath as he watches the confident Naruto walk back to his comrades.

Suddenly from the brush behind Maea, Toragai emerges for the first time since the night before, his hands clasped behind the back of his head as he starts a bit of a stretch as he steps out from the bushes. "Hey Maea, what the hell is going on?"

"Keinea and the loud mouth kid were just going at it over some girl." Maea then changes her demeanor to a more inquisitive one as she begins to wonder where Toragai has been all morning. "Masato where the hell have you been? We have been wondering what happened to you. You are always up early but no one had seen you all morning."

"Oh sorry about that. I went for a bit of a walk outside the village this morning. You know they say the landscape of the fire country is the most beautiful of all right?" Toragai shows an innocent expression as he looks around the area to all the leaf shinobi just noticing his arrival.

"You mean you left the village and the ANBU weren't watching you?" Maea asks surprised and somewhat suspicious.

"Nah. They were around all right but I guess since I was only roaming around the landscape they didn't bother me and I didn't bother them."

They two sin shinobi's attention is drawn back to the tense situation before them as Keinea reaches into his back pouch and begins searching frantically for something amongst his kunai. He then fumbles his hand out of his pocket holding a light blue scroll with the word "Yoshitsune" written across it. Keinea's actions are quickly observed by Toshida who watches Keinea with a stern eye.

"_Don't even think about it Keinea . . ." _Toshida says to himself.

Keinea bites down on his left thumb drawing blood as he then quickly opens the scroll and swipes his blood across the text on the inside, activating whatever seals were written inside. He quickly wraps the scroll back up before placing it in his teeth and clapping both hands together as he prepares to start yet another jutsu.

"Enough!" a deep voice comes from Keinea's far left. He looks over to see his brother glaring down at him with an angry look across his face as his patience for his brothers antics have finally worn out. "You know exactly what will happen if you try to summon him on your own brother. They work as a team and only as a team. If the two of us don't summon then they don't obey. Don't be stupid!"

Keinea hesitates for a moment and then switches to the seal of the boar, further demonstrating his intent to continue the summoning technique. Suddenly Toragai appears behind him and places a single firm hand on Keinea's left shoulder, drawing Keinea's attention to his newly arrived teammate.

"C'mon now little man, you heard the boss, the fight is over, now lets stop this nonsense ok?" Toragai says with a carefree smile across his face.

Keinea is not amused as he gives a quick jerk of his shoulder to remove Toragai's hand from its current grasp. But to his surprise, all of Keinea's strength was not enough to even budge the young man's hand from its current perch. Keinea looks to Toragai confused as Toragai's smile begins to fade and his look becomes more serious. Before either of them can say anything, the Hokage shows up on the scene demanding an explanation.

"That is enough, all of you!" Tsunade says as she sternly investigates the area and the damage done to the Nara household. "Shikamaru, your mother isn't going to be very happen when she gets home is she?"

Shikamaru can only sigh as all the events around him have finally stopped spinning out of control. "I don't even want to think about what my mother is going to say."

Tsunade soon turns her attention to Naruto and he in tern looks to her. "Naruto, what happened here?"

"It was a disagreement granny Tsunade, but it's over now, if we're going to be punished then I suppose there isn't anything I can say to change that."

Tsunade finds herself in shock at Naruto's admittance to the rough housing and cannot bring herself to come up with any punishment for the young shinobi. "Whatever, Naruto I don't care what caused it but it is as you said, over now. I don't want to see or hear about something like this ever happening again. Am I clear?"

"Yes Granny Tsunade."

"And stop calling me that!" Tsunade barks as Naruto smiles and begins to walk away from the household with Hinata and Shikamaru following behind. Tsunade then turns an angry eye toward Toshida. "I have granted you every possible liberty that I can Toshida . . . and yet I find one of your subordinates scuffling with one of my shinobi. Why did you not order him to stop?"

"Keinea is my brother Tsunade-sama, not my subordinate. No one on my team is subordinate to me."

"If that is true then why is it that they follow YOUR orders?"

"I told you before Tsunade-sama. Their loyalty to me is why they listen to me. I have done what I can to help them and they are all grateful to me for one reason or another. Why don't you ask Kakashi why he did not step in and stop the fight?"

Toshida's words catch Kakashi by surprise as he sits perched in a nearby tree reading his ever present copy of "Come Come Paradise". He quickly ducks behind the trunk of the tree as Tsunade then turns to locate him.

"That is a very good question . . ." Tsunade says as she rolls her eyes at the Jounins actions. "Perhaps he needs a new assignment . . . like cleaning out the pens and kennels at the Inuzaka household!"

"_She can't be serious!"_ Kakashi's says to himself as the mere thought of cleaning up after all of the Inuzaka clans dogs send shivers down his spine. He looks down to his novel opened in front of him in his left hand and realizes that if it was not for the book, his punishment may have never been a problem. He raises his right fist in anger toward the book and shouts aloud, "DAMN YOU JIRAIYA!"

Tsunade then turns her attention back to Toshida, "I am surprised to see that your men would fight over anything, let alone something so petty. How can you explain these actions?"

Toshida looks around at his ever-present motley crew of loyal teammates and can only let out a solemn smile in remembrance of all that they have sacrificed for him. "We are who we are Tsunade-sama. When you live a life like the four of us have lived in our own ways, sometimes fighting is all that you know. Keinea's only failure in his character has been his pride. He has always been a confident fighter and shinobi in everything that he does, and his pride was seriously dented when Naruto beat him at the stadium. He simply needed to know that Naruto was the better man, even though Keinea himself may still not admit it."

"But why did you not stop the fight? Someone could have got hurt."

"There was no danger in this fight Tsunade-sama. Keinea lost the fight as soon as he made it personal. His emotions got the better of him and he was forced to come face to face with his own weakness. I knew then that he would lose the battle. Naruto's strength seems to be more then I can personally comprehend. So I find it better to not even try to measure it."

"I see. Well I must ask that nothing like this ever happen while you are here again. We cannot afford to have our shinobi squabbling amongst one another. This is a stressful time for this village, we have been on a high alert in all aspects ever since Orochimaru's invasion and just one public disturbance may be enough to send the village into an uproar. I cannot afford that."

"You have my word then Tsunade-sama that I will do everything within my . . ." Toshida then throws his voice as he directs it to the trees behind him where Kakashi remains hidden from the angry Tsunade, "AND IN KAKASHI'S POWER!" Kakashi then cringes yet again as he thinks of his possible punishment. "To ensure that something like this doesn't happen again."

"Very well then. When he comes out of hiding, tell Kakashi to see me in my office. Goodbye for now Toshida." Tsunade then takes her leave of the sin shinobi and returns to her office with Sakura following in behind.

Meanwhile, as Maea and Toragai make their way over to Toshida, who has called a gathering of the four sin shinobi, Keinea is left with a new development that has caught his attention. _"Something is not right here. If I wanted to pull away from Toragai, it should have been no problem at all. But why was it that he was so strong and I couldn't break away from his grasp?" _Keinea looks to his brother who is still beckoning him to join their gathering. Keinea swipes his long trench coat off to the side and then makes his way over to his brother and teammates. As Keinea walks toward the group, more and more questions flood into his mind. _"And it doesn't make any sense that the ANBU would just let him go off on a little stroll, when the village is supposed to be on a high alert? And I can sense four ANBU guards still lingering around where I cannot see them_._ That is different from yesterday when there were six guards following us at all times, two guards per person. Not to mention Kakashi constantly following my brother. It doesn't make much sense for the leaf to lower the amount of surveillance they are keeping on us when things around here are supposed to be so stressful and volatile. Something doesn't feel right. But unfortunately we have a lot of work to do starting today and I need to focus."_

As Keinea joins the group Toshida then speaks of the duties that the four of them must embark on. "All right everyone, starting this afternoon, we need to begin what we came here to do. We are going to try and find out as much information we can about the dragon and as much information we can find that might help us in destroying it. Maea and Toragai will be assigned to searching through Tsunade-sama's medical scrolls and any other information that she may have about a procedure that may help us. The two of you will search through the documents because there is an immense amount of documentation to search through, and Maea's knowledge of medical jutsu may be useful if you two are to find something."

Toshida then looks to his younger brother with an unimpressed look on his face, still angry at his brothers disobedience. "Keinea, you will be searching through the third and fourth Hokage's personal journals to see if anything can help us there. Any knowledge that either of them may have documented about the sealing technique known as the Shiki Fuujin. Tsunade-sama tells me that it was the technique used in sealing the nine-tails."

"Which of the journals should we search through first brother?" Keinea asks with a curious look across his face.

"Start with the Fourth Hokage's journal. His time as Hokage was shorter and should make for less to search through. Also he was the developer of the technique so he may have documented how the technique is used and the seals and chakra formation needed in order to complete the jutsu. Your knowledge of sealing techniques should also help if you find anything useful."

Keinea's face turns to one of confusion at his brothers last words. "If I find it? You mean you aren't going to be searching through the documents with me brother?"

"I am afraid not brother. I have somewhere else that I need to be in order to search through all the possible information available to us. I need to search through fathers records and to see if he kept any record of the technique he used to summon the demon in the first place. Only then may I be able to figure out the complexity of the seal holding the demon in."

"WHAT!" Keinea exclaims out loud as Toshida's words catch the entire group off guard. "Where the hell are you going to find fathers files? The house was destroyed years ago. There is nothing left to search through. We looked through it ourselves before we destroyed it!"

"I know brother. We searched it ourselves so we know that his documents weren't there. Which means that they must have been left behind when we moved. He probably figured he didn't need them after leaving, but I remember father taking detailed notes when I was younger and mother once told me that he has done that for as long as she had known him. So I know that they are there . . . I just have to go back there and find them."

Keinea's look of surprise only intensifies as the realization finally hits him. "Then you mean you're going back . . ."

"Yes brother . . . I'm going back . . . to the village of sin."

Meanwhile, in the village of the hidden cloud, the Raikage remains pacing back and forth in the main room of his palace. Several guards stand on alert around the room and they are all sure to remain as quiet as possible because the Raikage is in a fowl mood. Ever since departing the wave country after the festivities were brought to an abrupt halt, he has sent out numerous brigades and scouts in the surrounding areas and even smaller scouting groups into other countries all in search of Toshida and his team. The wave country has been crawling with reporters and shinobi, hunter nins and personal bodyguards all trying to make sense out of what happened, making the team from the Sin's mission to simply disappear all that much easier.

Suddenly the Raikage's impatient pacing is brought to an end as the doors of the palace's main hall open wide to show a group of five men all wearing dark blue cloaks with the cloud insignia brandished on their forehead protectors. The man leading the group holds something in his left hand as he makes his way toward the Raikage.

The Raikage breathes a sigh of relief as he see's that the shinobi have not come empty handed. "Finally Kambei, I was starting to think that you had gotten lost. You had better be bringing me good news because I am having just about enough disappointments for one day."

The cloud shinobi lowers his head in respect and lets out a sigh of frustration as he unfortunately has no good news for the Raikage. "Our search part found nothing Raikage-sama. We found tracks leading to the shores of the wave country and what looks like a camp site that was recently used. Unfortunately if they used a boat to get wherever they were going the possibility of us successfully tracking them is virtually zero. There are miles of coastline to search along just the thunder country alone. And we cannot send a large enough search party into the fire country to search all of the coastlines without drawing some unneeded suspicion from the leaf village. If we were to send a small undercover detachment into the village we would only be able to search a small area at a time and by then their trail would be too compromised to continue any kind of search."

The Raikage sits down in his decadent throne-like chair and rests his head in the palms of his hands, tired and frustrated with all of the problems being put before him. _"This is not good."_ The Raikage thinks to himself, _"If the knowledge that Toshida possesses was to get out to the public in any of the countries, I would lose all support from my countrymen and possible advocation at the hands of the Daimyo, and maybe even prison time if it was all to get out. I will not let that kid ruin my life or my career_." The Raikage turns his angered attention back to the newly arrived search party.

"I want him found immediately. I don't care where you have to go, I don't care what you have to do, and I don't care who you have to use to do it. I want Akira Toshida and his teammates found or all of you will be severely punished. When you leave this palace, you will not return until you have Akira Toshida in custody, or you bring me his corpse!"

"I understand Raikage-sama. I have another development as well though." Kambei said, now stuttering and concerned.

"Well at this point Kambei it had better be good."

"I am afraid it is sort of two-sided Raikage-sama. My team met up with Seshen's team just south west of the Cloud village about twelve hours ago."

"Ah yes, and what did my son have to say Kambei? Did he have any leads as to where Toshida and his group have gone?"

"I am afraid not Raikage-sama."

"Then why the hell are you telling me this Kambei? You waste your own time and mine, SPEAK!" The Raikage stands up from his chair and towers over the now frightened shinobi as the throne stands on a pedestal several inches above the ground.

"Seshen's team found Shin-san and the missing genin from the village!" The shinobi says, having had enough of the Raikage's intimidation.

The Raikage sits back down in his chair having heard the first good news all day. "Is that so? Where did they find them? And where are they now?"

"They found the genin in one of the caves about a quarter mile into the five finger mountain ranges. They were all unconscious and still remain in a comatose state in the infirmary here in the cloud village, we brought them back with us when we returned to give our report."

"And what of Shin? I wish to speak to him as soon as possible."

The shinobi briefly cringes ever so slightly as he raises his hand revealing a cloud village head protector cracked on almost all sides and covered in a thick spattering of blood, now dried. "Seshen's team found Shin-san's body about seven miles into the same mountain range." The shinobi then pauses and takes a deep breath, lets out a loud swallow as he finishes his report. "His . . . head was found at one of our messaging stations three miles away from where his body was found. It was sealed in a package and was addressed to reach this palace. But the sending date was set to be sent after you had already left for the tournament. It seems that Toshida wanted you to receive the head just after returning home."

The Raikage lowers his head and grinds his teeth in both rage and frustration as Toshida's insulting actions prove more and more insulting, throwing the Raikage's defeat back into his face over and over again. "Thank you Kambei. You may leave now. And remember what I told you."

The five shinobi all bow before the Raikage and as they begin to take their leave of the Raikage's presence, the Raikage sternly orders that the palace hall be emptied, leaving him to be alone with his thoughts.

"EVERYONE GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" The Raikage screams, sending everyone running out of the room, closing the large golden plated doors behind them, leaving only the Raikage and several torches to light the massive hall. In the center of the hall a large fire continues to burn in large cauldron-like fire pit illuminating most of the hall. The Raikage stares into the fire for a moment before returning his attention to the bloodied head protector in his hands. With a quick swing, the Raikage sends the head protector flying across the room, landing hard on the hard marble floors before sliding for several meters before coming to a complete stop.

Back in the leaf village, Kakashi and Toshida have finished packing their supplies for the long trip back to the village of sin. The two of them stand at the large main entrance doors to the leaf village, and the sin shinobi as well as Naruto, Sakura, Gai and the Hokage are all present to see the two shinobi off.

"It will take us four days to reach the village if we keep up a steady pace." Kakashi says, to the surprise of the sin shinobi as well as the shinobi from the leaf.

"You mean you know where this village of theirs is Kakashi-sensei?" Says Sakura, still confused about her former teachers remarks.

"Of coarse he knows where the Raikou colony is." Gai interjects and offers a quick explanation to the questions being brought forth by the young shinobi. "The Raikou colony was infamous for the severe lightning storms they experienced. It made it almost impossible for anyone to travel through it. Where to you think the Raikiri (lightning edge) got its nickname?"

Kakashi winks to his former student as he sets the last buckle on his backpack. "Well then, we had better be going if we want to make good time."

"I agree Kakashi, but unfortunately it will not take us only four days to reach the colony. With the antics we pulled back at the tournament, security around the lightning country will be tripled, and they will try and kill me and anyone with me on sight."

"I see." Kakashi says as he scratches the back of his head. "What route then do you suggest that we take?"

Toshida then pulls out a map of the five countries and lays it across the ground as he shows Kakashi the route that Toshida has planned. "We will head northeast toward the shoreline just at the bordering edge of the fire country. We will then have to travel over water further northeast, staying out of range of the coastline, unless we want to be picked up by the border patrols. When we reach far enough north, we are going to run into basically nothing but thick ice. We will have to move quickly along the shoreline in an effort to reach far enough into the ice flows that we can safely move across. We are going to have to move as quickly as possible when we are actually in the thunder country to avoid detection. When we are far enough into the ice flows that we can move freely, we will arch outward, east further into the sea and then along the northern border of the thunder country. We will then move west along the border until we are just north of the colony and then move south through the mountain range until we reach our destination. The mountains are high and many, very difficult to move through, but very easy to remain undetected."

"We are heading quite a bit further north then I had hoped, and we are going to have to move across a lot of territory when we reach the northern border. What makes you so sure we won't be spotted?"

"It is too cold up there, there are no trees, no wildlife and no guard posts along the northern borders because it is simply too improbable that anyone would move along the northern borders."

"Hmmm. So cold that nothing can survive up there, and yet we are supposed to move for at least twenty-four hours along that territory?"

"Actually I would this it would be more like thirty-six hours depending on the amount of snow that we encounter."

"Well now that sounds like fun." Kakashi says sarcastically. "Well either way we had better be going."

"Agreed." Toshida turns to his teammates and says his goodbyes as he and Kakashi head out on their way. The two leap into the trees and begin making their way northeast toward the shores of the country borders. Toshida then hollers over to Kakashi, grabbing the attention of the seasoned shinobi. "Don't worry Kakashi. I already know what you are thinking. On this trip I will tell you all that you wish to know . . . about me . . . about the dragon . . . and about Tarawa Creek."

The two then continue speeding their way east at high speed, leaving the safety of the leaf village, and soon the fire country far behind them.

Back in the cloud village, the Raikage continues brooding in front of the fire in the palace's main hall. No one has entered the room for an hour, and the Hokage has not left his chair as he has remained focused on the ever rolling flames of the large fire. His attention is soon changed to a sound coming from behind him in the shadows of the massive hall. He can hear the sound of metal moving along the marble floor of the hall. The metal quickly stops moving and a brief noise of clothing like material flying through the air can be heard, ever so silent but enough to raise suspicion from the Raikage who is soon frightened as Shin's head protector lands in the fire in front of him.

"Who is there!" The Raikage demands, as his voice echoes throughout the massive hall. "I ordered this hall to be emptied and I did not want to be disturbed. Show yourself."

The Raikage searches around what he can see in the massive hall and finds only shadows and more darkness looking back at him. He quickly throws his hands together in the seal of the ram and shouts out loud _**"Kashoku Senkou!" **(Bright light flash)_. He then claps his hands together sending a pulse of bright light throughout the room briefly illuminating everything in the room. As the Raikage quickly searches the room visually he sees nothing in the hall, except for a number of torches and everything that should be there with nothing unusual. No figures, no shadows, and no silhouettes can be seen.

As the light flash wears off, the room falls into darkness yet again. The Raikage remains vigilant as he begins to calm down and turns to regain his seat in the center of the room, when suddenly he can see a figure walk in front of one of the torches and then return to the shadows. The figure was that of a young man with chin length hair, spiked in the back. Nothing else was noticeable.

"Dammit! Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my hall!" The Raikage shouts out loud.

Suddenly from behind him the Raikage can hear a deep and sinister laughing coming from the shadows. As the Raikage turns around he can hear slow methodical footsteps moving toward him. As he casts of his Raikage robe, he can see a silhouette forming in the shadows, as the figure moves forward the light begins to reveal more and more. The figure wears an all black jounin style outfit with the vest and head protector but no insignia yet visible. The figure has long shoulder length hair and an earring in each ear, purple in colour and his skin is a pale white. "There is no need to get hostile Raikage-dono. You and I have something in common."

The figure's head then looks up to the face of the Raikage, and the Raikage can clearly see the bright yellow snakelike eyes and sound village head protector of the leader of the Hidden Sound village. The legendary Sannin . . . Orochimaru, smiling as he looks deep into the Raikage's eyes.

"You and I, have much to discuss."


	17. The Snake Charmers Temptation

_**Chapter 17: The Snake Charmers Temptation**_

**(Warning: This chapter contains Spoilers for those not up to date with the Naruto Manga)**

The Raikage stands in his darkened hall surrounded by nothing but shadows and several torches along the walls of the palace, and a single bonfire in the center of the room in front of his throne like chair. He stands several meters across the room from a man, clad in black with a heart and intentions that are just as dark. The Raikage crosses eyes with the legendary Orochimaru, S-Rank criminal and former shinobi of the hidden leaf, now the leader of the more recently formed Hidden Sound village. The man responsible for the death of the third Hokage and many others during the invasion of the leaf village. His reasons for being in the hall are unknown, and it is unknown as to whether or not he is alone.

"What could we possibly have to talk about?" The Raikage questions, "We have never met before. In Fact, I am not even sure I know who you are."

Orochimaru maintains the smile across his face and offers a silent laugh as he moves some strands of his pitch black hair out of his face, swiping it over his shoulder. "I am surprised you don't know who I am. Perhaps you would like to check the bingo book. The last time I checked I was around the top of the list." Orochimaru glares deep into the Raikage's eyes sending shivers down the cloud leader's spine. His eyes shine bright with a glow and slitted black pupil reminiscent of those possessed by the most cunning of snakes.

"_Those eyes . . ." _The Raikage thinks to himself, "Orochimaru . . . the snake charmer."

"Haha, I'm glad to see that my reputation is so widespread, that even in the cloud village I can still send chills down a man's spine."

"You are indeed one of the top seated S-Rank felons and it would be my duty to arrest you or kill you as stated in the treaty among the five countries. Any S-Rank felon must be apprehended at all costs despite any crossing over into foreign jurisdictions."

"That is in fact true Raikage-dono." Orochimaru then begins walking closer to The Raikage who raises his hands, ready to engage the Sannin in battle. Orochimaru then raises his hands in front of him, parallel to his shoulders. "You can relax Raikage-dono. I did not come here to fight or to start a war with your village. I came here because you and I share a common problem."

"And just what exactly is that?" The Raikage questions, as he reaches to his side shuriken pouch.

"I understand you are looking for the dragon . . ." Orochimaru's words immediately draw the Cloud leader's attention and he stops his motioning to his weapons. "A boy by the name of Akira Toshida if I heard correctly."

The Raikage stands down from his offensive stance and has decided to listen to what the Sannin has to offer. "All right Orochimaru . . . you have my attention. Make it quick before I change my mind."

"I have an informant under cover who has told me that Toshida has received sanctuary from the Hokage and the village of Konoha."

The Raikage begins to fume with anger at Orochimaru's words. The thought that one of his counterparts overseeing the fire country could be sheltering a man that may hold the Raikage's future in his hands. "All-right Orochimaru what is it that you want from me?"

"I know that apparently that man is a threat to you and so I can understand your desire to see him out of your way. I am offering my services to eliminate this threat for you as a show of good faith."

"I am not naive Orochimaru. You are not the gracious type to simply offer yourself to my service. What is it you plan to receive in return?"

Orochimaru smirks at the Raikage's words and offers his explanation. "Are you familiar with the organization known as the Akatsuki Raikage-dono?"

"The Akatsuki?" The Raikage asks, "From what I hear they are a group of S- Rank felons working together for some purpose. But I thought they were only a hearsay organization. Some underground myth."

"Unfortunately no they are not. I am a former member of the organization. I left several years ago for my own reasons."

"What does this have to do with anything Orochimaru? I told you to get to the point or you are wasting my time."

"This Toshida kid definitely seems to have you on edge Raikage-dono." Orochimaru snickers in a mocking fashion only further angering the Raikage.

"Damn you, you bastard!" The Raikage pulls back a fist faster then Orochimaru can even see and thrusts his fist toward Orochimaru's face at an incredible speed. Orochimaru's gaze does not change as the milliseconds go by as if in slow motion. His sight then focuses away from the Raikage's eyes and just over the Raikage's right shoulder.

Suddenly a shuriken passes past the Raikage's head and around his wrists, dragging behind a narrow almost invisible but incredibly strong strand of kurot wire. The shuriken completely entangles the Raikage's wrist and stops it only an inch away from connecting with Orochimaru's face. As the Raikage slowly turns his head around to see where the restraint came from, he can see the same silhouette that he saw before the young man holds the kurot wire around entangled loosely around his middle and index finger still managing however to keep the Raikage from striking Orochimaru.

"Who the hell are you?" The Raikage asks, seeing only a solemn smirk across the dark figure's face.

"It doesn't matter who he is." Orochimaru says, drawing the Raikage's attention back to him. "The important thing is that you simply take me seriously. Both you and I know that you could have killed my servant easily, but instead you have not. Because I would in turn kill you. I want your time Raikage. And if I have to restrain you in order to get it from you . . . I will do so." With a quick nod of his head, Orochimaru signals to his associate to release the Raikage's restraint. The Raikage's hand comes loose, and after several moments of silence and pondering, he chooses not to strike Orochimaru, in favour of listening to his proposal.

"All right Orochimaru, I apologize. But please, get to the point."

"As I was saying, I am familiar with the members of the Akatsuki and I know what they are capable of and what their mission is, and suffice to say it greatly interferes with my own interests. What I need is a source of power that can rival that in which they are trying to obtain."

"And what is it that they are trying to obtain?" The Raikage asks as he remains in suspense.

"They are after the nine bijyuu.(tailed-demons)"

The Raikage's face displays an intense showing of dread as the thought of a criminal organization possessing the tailed demons is a truly frightening thought. "They want to possess the power of the demons? But it is impossible for them to contain those massive energies, how in the hell can they . . ."

"It isn't important, but I can assure you that they are indeed capable of doing so. If they do then all of my plans will be seriously hindered."

"So what does this have to do with my problem."

"Have you heard the story of the four cardinal beasts that watch over this world?"

"I am vaguely familiar with it. Four demon beasts overseeing all that happens in their dominion below. But those are just the stories . . . fairy tales told to children as bedtime stories."

"Unfortunately those bedtime stories are a reality." Orochimaru's words are once again a surprise to the Raikage.

"You must be joking Orochimaru. Surely no such thing can be true."

"Why do you dismiss the possibility so quickly? There are already nine demons that the leaders of each village know of. Why is it hard to believe that there are four demons at a higher level looking over the nine?" Orochimaru begins to pace around the room as the Raikage follows him with a questionable glance. "The four demons each hold a dominion over the realm in which the bijyuu come from, divided into north, east, south and west. With the demons being a Phoenix, a turtle, a tiger and . . ."

". . . a dragon." The Raikage finishes the Sannin's sentence as he begins to understand what Orochimaru is getting at. "I think I finally understand Orochimaru. Your plans will be in jeopardy if the Akatsuki are to get their way and obtain the tailed beasts . . . so you want to do them one better and obtain a power higher then what they seek."

"That's correct Raikage-dono. The reasoning for the dragon ending up in this world and then into the man that you wish to see disappear is knowledge that I do not possess. But I am going to resist the urge to obtain that knowledge because I believe it has something to do with why you wish to see this child killed."

The Raikage tries to show no emotion in reaction to the snake charmers words, but his frustration over the situation becomes quickly evident. "So what do you propose?"

"I will use a newly developed jutsu that I have created, to extract the demon from the boy's body. After the demon is in my possession, I can return the boy to your custody or simply kill him . . . that is of coarse if he survives the extraction process."

"That sounds very interesting Orochimaru, but how are you going to get the boy to cooperate or even capture him. As you said, he is in the leaf village. From what I understand, you are not the type to simply be allowed to walk in and do as you please." The Raikage crosses both arms in front of his chest as he awaits the answer.

"That is what I need from you Raikage-dono." Orochimaru turns to his left to face the Raikage directly as the final piece of the puzzle is ready to be revealed. "I need your forces to assist in a full scale invasion of the village. They will all be dressed in sound village uniforms, making the leaf village simply believe that it is just I attacking them."

"Hmpf." The Raikage says, unimpressed. "From the information I received, your last attempt to invade the village was a failure. And you had manipulated your allies through deceit and murder." The Raikage's words succeed in angering Orochimaru who grits his teeth as he stares deep into the Raikage's eyes. "So why should I take part in anything that you are involved in?"

Orochimaru laughs as he readies to reveal his edge. "Because without me, or my knowledge of the village, you will fail in any attempt to retrieve Toshida. And the knowledge that he possesses will come to light someday, and I don't think you want that. I can easily get my informant to get the knowledge from Toshida . . . and then that is just one more person that could possibly end your career . . . and many more then that after I receive his report." Orochimaru's words stab like daggers into the mind of the Raikage, fully aware that he is being manipulated, he can only agree with Orochimaru in the back of his mind. "I have several smaller objectives that I wish to accomplish with your help in this situation, but me and my men will take care of it personally . . . all I need is for you and your men to keep the village distracted long enough for me to accomplish my goals."

"There are two other Sannin in Konoha at this time from the knowledge I have received! One of them is the Hokage for god sakes, how do you plan to take care of them?"

"I have a plan to take care of Jiraiya, and many of the other Jounins in the village . . . and Tsunade . . . I will take care of her personally. You need not worry about her."

"I don't know how you can take care of two Kage level shinobi by yourself. It seems almost impossible. How can I trust you?" The Raikage questions.

"You simply have no other alternative Raikage-dono. Either you cooperate with me and we can help each other . . . or your secret will be brought to the light of day."

The Raikage returns to his chair, placing his head in his hands and crouching down with his head between his knees, as a difficult decision lies before him. He ponders all that has been told to him this day as Orochimaru looks on. His words have been venom to the Raikage and only the snake charmer can offer an antidote for his salvation. _"This is madness. All because I did not kill Kunashiro (see Village of sin back stories) when I had_ _the chance. I cannot trust this man . . . nor can I neglect his offer. But I will not let that boy destroy my career! I will not be removed from my position . . . Forgive me cloud village . . . but I must take the devils fruit."_

The Raikage rises from his chair and walks back toward Orochimaru. The two stand only a single pace apart as the Raikage holds out his hand which is soon accepted by Orochimaru who brandishes a sinister smirk across his face.

The Raikage takes a deep breath in as he inhales, "Orochimaru . . . we have a deal." The Raikage regretfully says, as he exhales the deep breath.

"Excellent Raikage-dono. We will meet again in five days in my village to discuss the plans in full detail . . ."

The Raikage and Orochimaru continuing discussing matters while the focus turns to the dark figure standing across the room, leaning against one of the large bronze pillars of the decadent hall. He then says with a smirk as evil as Orochimaru's stricken across his face, "Its Time to go home . . ."

Several minutes later both the dark figure and Orochimaru disappear leaving only Orochimaru's laugh to echo throughout the hall. "Remember what we talked about Raikage-dono . . . be in the sound village in five days . . . or the deal is off . . . and your secret is out."

The massive doors of the hall swings open from the Inside and the Raikage steps out with all of his guards quickly rushing to his side as he has emerged for the first time in hours after receiving the news of Shin's demise. "Kambei!" The Raikage bellows out with a firm determination in his voice.

Kambei rushes to the Raikage's side and bows before him, "Yes Raikage-sama?"

"Congratulations Kambei, you are now Shin's replacement. And as your first act as my right hand, I want you to gather our forces together immediately and have them assemble here in the main hall . . . we are going to war."

"Y-yes Raikage-sama." Kambei stands up and quickly departs with the rest of the guards all to assemble the army of the hidden cloud.

The Raikage then thinks back to the last words Orochimaru said to him before he disappeared and the focus was on the dark figure.

The two stand several meters away as Orochimaru begins to walk away from the Raikage. He turns around slightly to make eye contact with the Raikage, "Oh and one more thing Raikage-dono . . ."

"Yes, what is it?"

"Bring three . . . volunteers with you when you come . . ."

The words catch the Raikage by surprise, but he nods his head and accepts Orochimaru's condition. As the seeds that have been planted this day can never be unearthed, the Raikage is left to contemplate his actions as his fate lies in the village of the hidden sound . . . five days from now.

Meanwhile, it has been almost six hours since Kakashi and Toshida left the safety of Konoha to return to the village of sin. The two have traveled across the vast forests and plains of the fire country and have past the valley of the end, the damage from the fight over a year ago still evident throughout the surrounding landscape. Kakashi cannot help but find nothing, but a feeling of intense melancholy as he passes the two statues. He changes his direction and lands on top of the eastern most statue, kneeling down surveying the area where Naruto and Sasuke fought one year ago. The cliff sides still damaged, some trees still burnt, and blood now dry, still strewn across parts of the landscape. Kakashi lowers his head for a moment as the thoughts of Naruto's defeat, and Sasuke's defection once again rush back into his mind.

Toshida lands just behind the leaf jounin and begins surveying the damaged landscape for himself. He walks forward coming up slowly behind Kakashi as he stops his surveying of the area.

"What's the matter Kakashi?" Toshida asks as he lowers his head to get Kakashi's attention.

Kakashi stands up and turns back toward the northeast as he answers solemnly, "Nothing," He crouches down and readies to leap once again to continue their journey. "Lets go." The two then take off at lightning fast speed back on their course toward the village of sin, leaving the damaged remnants of the valley of the end behind as the deafening roar of the valley's waterfall slowly fades to become nothing more then a solitary rumble in the distance. Kakashi's mind still remains in that valley. _"I'm not giving up on you Sasuke . . . ever."_

The two continue on their way through the countryside through the demilitarized zone between the thunder and fire countries. They begin to take a slight right curve on their way toward the coastline as to not cross into the thunder country and risk detection. After about an hour of traveling the two make it to the coastline, renting the services of small boat and navigator from a small store along the coast. The two board the boat and begin checking their supplies and provisions as they ready to enter colder territory.

"Just how far north am I taking you sir?" The boatman asks Kakashi.

"Until the ice is too thick for you to maneuver in." Kakashi replies. "We will then pay you double the amount promised and you will forget that you ever saw us."

The boatman's face lights up with the prospect of the doubling of his fee, "Y-yes sir!" The boatman exclaims with an almost childish glee.

"But make haste for this journey or you can forget the bonus." Toshida says, grumbling from underneath his thick white scarf as he buries his face into it in an effort to keep warm and make himself comfortable.

"Y-yes sir." The boatman nervously says, as he increases his pace and therefore the boat's momentum as they continue on their journey. He throws on a thick over coat as the air already begins to demonstrate the cold sting of the northern climate.

"Was that really necessary?" Kakashi says to Toshida, just load enough for Toshida to hear.

"No, but I don't like waiting." Says Toshida with a smirk across his face. "And it is too bloody cold up here so I would like to get in and out as soon as possible."

The two laugh just under their breath as the expression on the boatman's face reeks of zealous determination as the promise of more money has sparked a great enthusiasm in their navigator.

The two shinobi then begin to relax and try to get some sleep as night begins to fall over their location. It would be seven hours before the two would awaken.

Back in the leaf village, Keinea is cooped up in the library in the Hokage building continuing his research through the records and journals of Sarutobi, The Third Hokage. The room is empty except for him, a few candles and hundreds of books and scrolls all pertaining to the chronicles of the third Hokage. It is now 12:30am and the leaf village is asleep all except for Keinea and all those continuing their research. Suddenly, the door to the library opens and Tsunade walks in to check on Keinea's progress.

"It's 12:30 Keinea . . . any luck?" Tsunade asks as Keinea does not even turn his eyes away from the book he is engrossed in. "And I thought you were going to start by going through the 4th's records first.

"That is what my brother suggested." Keinea says as his eyes remain forever focused on the script on the page. "So that usually means that the opposite is the right thing to do." Keinea says with a silent chuckle. "Besides, the fourth may have been some supreme shinobi, but his documentation skills were horrible. Nothing in the scroll is listed in any form of chronological order. It is as if it was rewritten or something . . . pieced together by bits and pieces of data. It makes it extremely frustrating to try and filter through."

"Yes from what I hear the fourth just had a bad habit of not dating his logs. And he was rather untidy when it came to filing them. When he died, the third had to retake the position of Hokage and had all of the fourth's documents rewritten on that scroll to keep them all together. The originals should be somewhere in this library, but you are better off just searching through that scroll."

"Yes I have seen his writing on some of these mission transcripts that were filed away in the cabinet to the far left of the room. It is quite messy. You can barely make out his signature. I have no idea what the guy's real name is, you can't read anything that he wrote."

"I understand." Tsunade says as she takes a position over Keinea's left shoulder, reading over what he is reading. "Is their anything remotely helpful in Sarutobi-sensei's records?"

"So far nothing." Keinea says, as he lets out a frustrated sigh. "I haven't found anything pertaining to the nine tails or the sealing jutsu that the fourth used."

"It all happened around 13 years ago if that narrows your search at all." Tsunade offers as she searches for the correct date in the scroll, unraveling the massive text. "No it isn't in this one." Tsunade then searches the pile of scrolls on the table Keinea is seated at. After filtering through more then a dozen scrolls she finds the one with the correct dates indicated on the bottom. As she rolls the scroll out she searches for the correct date. "We need to find something during the time in which Sarutobi-sensei was retired and the fourth was in power. The third new how to perform the technique of the fourths so he must have learned it from the fourth himself in order to have used it during the invasion."

As the two search through the numerous listings throughout the enormous scroll, it is Keinea who finds the first bit of useful information. "Ok this may be something . . ." He says, bringing Tsunade over to his side of the scroll. "It has mention of a new jutsu being developed by the fourth for use in a desperate situation. And in this log here made a couple days later he talks about his training with the fourth. Hmpf, to think that an old man called the "professor" or "god of all shinobi" would be training under his own successor."

"Sarutobi-sensei, made it a mission to know all jutsu in the leaf village so that he may assist anyone at anytime. He was not limited to the student and teacher style relationship. He believed that those with the strongest "will of fire" as he called it, were always the younger and more ambitious ones. He was not against learning from those younger then him."

"Hmm, what an interesting man. Would have been interesting to meet him." Keinea remarks almost sarcastically as his eyes do not leave the portion of the scroll he has fixed himself on. "AHA!" Keinea shouts aloud, "Here it is, a mention of the sealing technique. It describes how the technique is used . . . what hand seals are used . . . " After a few moments of reading Keinea becomes frustrated slamming his hand down hard on the table. "Dammit! There is nothing in here about how the technique works or how the fourth was able to originate it."

Tsunade lets out a sigh as she has become almost as frustrated as Keinea has become. "I suppose it is because the technique takes the life of whoever uses it . . . I wonder if the fourth even knew how the technique worked."

Keinea lowers his head into his hands as he rubs just underneath his eyes in an effort to stay awake. Tsunade notices Keinea's fatigue and offers a word of encouragement. "Don't worry Keinea, we will find the information that we are looking for. We just have to be patient and thorough."

"I suppose you are right. I will continue my research until brother gets home. Hopefully I will have a solution by the time he comes home." Keinea then returns his attention to the third's log and once again focuses on the task at hand.

"Keinea you really should get some sleep." Tsunade says as she makes her way to the door. "It won't help your cause if you are too exhausted to make sense of what you are reading."

"I will sleep enough when I am dead, or my brother is cured . . . whichever happens first." Keinea says, as he simply waves Tsunade off with his right hand.

Tsunade takes her leave of the young shinobi and closes the door behind her as she makes her way to her room for the night. _"Let us hope it is the later of the two, young shinobi." _Tsunade thinks to herself as she turns in for the night.

Within an hour of Tsunade's departure from the library, Keinea succumbs to exhaustion and falls asleep. His head still buried in the large text of the third's journal, and with his slumber, the whole leaf village can be but to sleep for the night.

After several hours of rest, the team of Kakashi and Toshida are awoken by a hard jostle of the boat slamming against a small underwater ice flow. The two are startled and slightly disorientated but after soon realizing their location then turn their attention to their attention to the boatman, shivering due to the cold and lack of sleep.

"I think this is far enough kind sir." Toshida says, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "My associate here will pay you what we promised in full with the doubled amount if you keep your mouth shut."

The boatman simply nods at Toshida's remarks and continues his relentless shivering. As he turns around to face Kakashi, he walks directly into Kakashi's open Sharingan eye, spinning and hypnotizing the boatman and knocking him unconscious. Kakashi then places his blankets on top of the ferryman and lines the man's coat with the money the two promised. The two then step off of the boat, channeling chakra into their feet to stay on top of the water. Toshida pushes the boat off into the direction in which they came as Kakashi starts a jutsu. _Rat, Boar, Ox, Hare, Snake, Dragon, Rat, Ram._

"**_Suiton: Totsunyuu Shuuha_** **_no jutsu"_** _(Rushing Wave Technique)_ Suddenly, the water underneath the boat begins to bubble before rising more then fifteen meters into the air and then rushing south toward the outpost that the three all left earlier that day. The wave then dissipates almost as quickly as it had began, but the current it has created is enough to start the boat on its way home.

"All right, lets get going." Kakashi says just seconds before the two take off into the air leaping along the water until the two soon reach thick ice, strong enough to carry the weight of the two. As the two travel along the icy path set before them, the increasing amount of snow makes their journey more and more difficult. There is too much snow for the two to easily track through, not enough mass in the snow for the two to use as a launching point. The two can no longer leap through the air and cover more then 10 times as much ground. The snow is too thick for them to run through either.

"Well this sure is inconvenient." A sarcastic Toshida hollers aloud as the current snowfall begins to change into a blizzard, deafening the two shinobi with the chorus of blistering winds befalling them.

"Indeed. We have to figure out a better way to travel in this weather to we wont be able to make it to the destination in time."

"Agreed."

Kakashi then bites down on his thumb drawing blood before he starts another jutsu. _Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram. _

"_**Kuchiyose no jutsu" **(Summoning Technique) _Suddenly all of Kakashi's dogs appear in full force ready to help out in the situation. Kakashi then begins taking out parts from the packs that all of his nin dogs possess. He begins putting all of the pieces together while Toshida looks on. The stranger's presence has garnered an unwelcome reception from Kakashi's dogs who all bark incessantly at the unfamiliar shinobi. Kakashi tries to keep the dogs quiet, but their instinct to protect their master is too much for Kakashi to control. Pakkon then turns to address his master.

"Kakashi, who is this guy?" The small dog says as he leaps onto Kakashi's shoulder and stares menacingly at Toshida who finds himself at a loss for words.

"The dog . . . is talking?" Toshida says as he shakes his head from side to side.

"Pakkon, tell the others to be quiet. This is Akira Toshida. He is my latest assignment. So please, enough with the barking. We are running behind schedule." Kakashi says, as he stands to his feet and begins tying numerous tassels and harnesses to the dogs, connecting it to the initial contraption he was constructing. When all the preparations are complete, Kakashi has created a makeshift dog sled to transport him across the landscape.

"Lets get going. We have a lot of ground to make up." Kakashi then turns to Toshida who still remains weary of Kakashi's dogs. "Hop on and lets get going."

Toshida shakes his head, "I don't think so. I will take another way to get to where we are going. Growing up in this country I spent a lot of time in the snowy north." Toshida then gets some distance between him and Kakashi. "I have learned a number of ways to travel through the snow." Toshida then claps his hands together and begins channeling chakra.

Kakashi's shrugs Toshida's actions off and gets ready to set off. "You had better keep up. It may be my mission to watch over you, but you need to reach the village of sin, not me. If you fall behind then I will not turn back to retrieve you." Kakashi then orders the dogs off and with the blink of an eye the dogs explode at high speed transporting Kakashi across the landscape.

"Hmpf." Toshida says to himself, "I suggest that you try, and keep up . . . with me." Toshida then separates his feet and gets into the proper stance as he starts a jutsu. _Tiger, Snake, Monkey, Bird, Rat, Horse, Ram, Dog, Dragon._

"**_Hyouton: Barike-do Aisuma_ _no jutsu"_ **_(Ice Element: Ice Horse Barricade) _Toshida then slamshis hands down to the ground at his sides as he kneels down on one knee. The ground around him then begins to rumble and massive snow drifts then lift him off the ground more then twenty meters. The snow drift then begins to move gradually forward as Toshida remains in his kneeling position. As the drift gathers momentum and speed, the technique completes itself as the drift begins to form into several large horses all made of ice and snow, galloping at full speed in the middle of the snow drift. The back ends of the horses remain unseen as they still remain part of the main snow drift.

Within moments Kakashi's dog sled is passed by Toshida and the rushing waveof snow and ice. Toshida waves at Kakashi as he passes and jokingly remarks, "I suppose,I'll see you at the finish line!"

As the two continue speeding toward the north, it is only a matter of hours before the two are forced to cross the northern section of the thunder country, and then from there . . . it is on to the Village of Sin.


	18. Efforts on All Fronts

_**Chapter 18: The Efforts on All Fronts**_

_(Authors Note: There is a lot going on in this chapter, so try and keep up with the time lapses, it is a setup for the next chapter where almost all of the efforts in this chapter come to fruition.)_

(And a big shout out to Seshen on this one . . . Hope you catch it!)

_(Music: Queue "Tea Country" From the Naruto Third OST)_

Kakashi and Toshida both stand crouched down knee deep in snow just a mile away from the shoreline in the northernmost section of the thunder country. The two slowly walk toward the shoreline as the sun begins to set.

"We should set up camp for the night and move on again at first light." Kakashi's suggests to his younger associate.

"I disagree." Toshida says, as he surveys' the coastline, "Standard procedure during guard missions is to double the amount or shinobi on patrol and increase the search radius to further outward from the original source. They know that it is easy for unwanted guests or trouble makers to move around at night so they do what they can but doubling and in this case, considering they are looking for me and have been on alert since the Raikage returned home, it is likely that the security has been increased five fold. Besides hunting at night is especially adept to Raigan users. Their night vision is more then twice as good as their regular vision."

"Raigan users?" Kakashi asks, before the answer actually crosses his mind. "The advanced bloodline of the cloud village? I have heard about the doujutsu before but I have never actually met or heard about anyone that actually had the bloodline."

"It is extremely rare. Hence why those with the bloodline are often sought after to be the Raikage's elite guards or his personal shock troops. Perhaps I will explain the bloodline for you in more detail sometime." Toshida begins to move toward the shoreline as Kakashi follows behind. "It isn't far until we reach the thunder plains. It's a series of plateaus and valleys' just before the Dugon Mountains. Then its only another 3 hours journey to the colony border."

"So you plan to travel by night even when there is more patrols out? This doesn't make much sense." Kakashi adds.

"Yes but like I said, the Raigan bloodline is very rare, they would have anyone possessing it patrolling the border, not up here freezing their ass off. So if that is the case then we are better off speeding through as much of the country as possible while we have the darkness to shadow us. If we were to make camp, then we would need a fire in order to stay alive in this weather, and our fire would be picked up rather quickly by any guards in the area. This was it is an equal playing field. With us constantly moving, it is less likely that some wayward patrol would stumble upon our camp site. Also, the Thunder plains are at a high altitude located in between two large mountain ranges. With the high winds blowing over the peaks almost all the time, there is a constant haze of snow fall over the plateaus, making it very hard to see anything in the thunder plains unless you are actually in the thunder plains themselves. That will give us the advantage and allow us to get some rest. The weather is windy but it isn't as cold, so we can likely get away with not having a fire at our campsite."

"I see experience in this territory goes along way does it?" Kakashi comments with a hint of sarcasm.

"I grew up in this area Kakashi. For three months I had to hide from almost every single guard in the thunder country, and up north was always the best place to go. Lots of places to hide. Unfortunately no where to run though." Toshida then leaps into the air and makes his way toward the shoreline at highspeed with Kakashi following in close behind. "This is the best time to make our move. The afternoon patrol is finishing up their round and the evening shift will be coming on shortly. The transitions happen four times daily, switching the patrols and bringing in fresh men to keep up security. When these shift changes are talking place that is when we must cover the most ground, because at that point they are unorganized and gathered more toward the cloud village which is much further south."

"So basically, the guards clear us a path four times a day?" Kakashi's asks.

"Yes. It only lasts for an hour total with the first twenty minutes being the easiest to move around during. So when those shift changes occur, we just have to haul ass like there is no tomorrow, and try and get as much rest as we can during the six-hour period first thing tomorrow morning. If we can keep up a good pace, then I think we can make it to the village of sin by this time tomorrow evening."

"Sounds like a plan." Kakashi's says as he increases speed, overtaking the lead from Toshida. "Lets get moving then!"

Toshida and Kakashi would then speed their way through the northern mountains and valley's of the thunder country without incident. When the two reached the thunder plains they manage to find a decent area to set up camp, just as the sun begins to rise. Kakashi gathers up some wood from the surrounding area to create a fire so that the two can get comfortable enough to get some rest. As his back is turned to Toshida, Kakashi pulls down his mask as he faces the bundle of wood and starts a quick jutsu. _Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger._

"_**Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu!" **(Fire Element: Grand Fireball Technique) _Kakashi spews fire out of his mouth and onto the bundle of sticks and wood, starting a sufficient fire for the two shinobi to remain warm.

As Toshida begins to make himself comfortable, he soon notices that Kakashi has been staring at him intently for the last few minutes, waiting for Toshida to speak. "Is there a problem Kakashi?"

"You know what I want to talk about kid. Don't play dumb with me." Kakashi says with his authoritarian glare piercing through the sin shinobi. "Lets pick up with where you left off. Tell me of your upbringing."

"Well then . . . I suppose I don't have much of a choice do I?" Toshida says, as he shakes his head and rolls his eyes, as he prepares, once again to tell Kakashi of his shattered and scattered past.

_**(Continued in Toshida's Gaiden Chapter 7: "Finding the Heart of A Child." find it all here http/ copy and paste) **_

When Toshida finishes his story, the two shinobi turn in for some rest for the next four hours, before they continue their trek toward the village of Sin.

Back in the leaf village Sukio Maea walks through the hallways of the Hokage building, holding a fresh hot cup of tea in her left hand. She smiles and nods to the other shinobi walking through the hallways, and many of the men stop in their tracks, awestruck by the dark-haired beauty, once hailed as the "Avalanches Shining Gem" back in her home village.

She walks at a calm and steady pace as she glances in many of the open doors and a number of closed off rooms as she looks for Keinea in the early hours of the morning. As she continues through the twisting hallway, she ends up finding Keinea, asleep with his face buried in the documentation left by Sarutobi. Maea walks over toward Keinea, placing her head on Keinea's shoulder, quickly waking the exhausted shinobi from his slumber.

"Wh-what? What time is it?" Keinea asks, as he makes eye contact with Maea.

"It's seven in the morning Keinea. I spend most of the night searching through Tsunade-sama's books and I find you in here taking a break?" Maea jokingly accuses.

"N-no that's not it at all . . . I was looking over . . ."

"Its ok Keinea, I was just messing with you. Did you find anything that might help us?" Maea asks, as she too begins surveying the scroll in front of him.

"I am afraid not. All that I have learned, is that the technique kills whoever it is that uses the technique, and steals the soul of whoever it is that the technique is used on. Much like how the dragon seems to steal the soul of whoever he kills."

"Well that is stuff that we already knew." Maea takes a sip of her tea as she just gives up trying to make heads or tails of the Hokage's journal. "Oh I guess since you just woke up you don't know where Toragai is do you?"

"Toragai?" Keinea asks with a curious suspicion. "No, I don't. You don't where he is?"

"Nah. I woke up this morning and went to go find him so we could get back to work and he was no where to be found. I thought maybe he came to visit you like I decided to do. But considering you were asleep I am guessing he didn't come by."

"This is weird. Why does he always seem to get up before all of us do and then just disappear for an hour or so? Then he has some lame excuse like he is out for a walk." Keinea crosses his arms in front of his chest almost in a pout as he thinks about Toragai's odd behavior.

"Hey don't dig too much into it. He probably did just go for a walk. You know how he likes to stay in shape."

"Perhaps you're right. Well if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to work on this."

"Yea no problem. I should be getting back to work as well. Are you sure you don't want anything to eat or drink before you get back to it Keinea?"

"Yea I am sure." Keinea then nonchalantly waves Maea away and she takes her leave from the room, closing the door behind her. Keinea would then spend the next few hours meticulously immersed in the journal.

Meanwhile, in the Konoha hospital, Naruto and Sakura are visiting the still distraught and fragile Ino. Ino sits up in her hospital bed with her hair flattened and hanging down at her sides, still dressed in her hospital gown. Her sheets are pulled up to her chest as she holds them tight trying to stay warm as well as maintain her current comfort level. Chouji sits in a chair next to her bed staring out the window as Naruto and Sakura sit in chairs at the foot of her bed, warned by Chouji that her mental state is still not what it used to be. Her mind still ravaged by the images and information she had been subjected to when she foolishly tried to take over the mind of Akira Toshida, the container of the ferocious dragon demon. Shikamaru also stands at the foot of Ino's bed, having already visited Ino numerous times before. He stands with his arms crossed and an unhappy look strewn across his face. Seeing your teammate in such a diminished state is usually hard for a shinobi to watch.

"Ino, how are you feeling?" Sakura asks.

Ino slowly raises her head making eye contact with Sakura with tears still in her eyes, having never left since she regained conscious several days ago. She analyzes the question for a minute and processes it in her delicate mind. "I'm . . . feeling better." Ino says quietly and slowly.

"I am glad to see that you're awake again. We were really worried about you." Naruto says, demonstrating restraint and holding back his urge to be an annoying loudmouth.

Sakura moves closer to Ino as to try and reach out and touch her hand. She moves slowly and methodically. But openly showing her movements to Ino as to not frighten her. She holds out her hand and waits for Ino to reach out to it as well. Her hand is extended but her fingers still slightly curled upward as if all her muscles were relaxed. The image of Sakura's hand, sparks a haunting image in Ino's mind as many of the images she witnessed while in Toshida's head all rush back in an instant flooding her minds eye like a tidal wave of agony and fear.

In Ino's mind, she can see a blood-soaked battlefield with hundreds of dead shinobi bodies lying strewn across the ground, maimed and butchered and then thrown aside with reckless abandon, resonating the smell of death as the heavy rain catapults the stench into the air. The image sparked before is off a severed arm, resembling Sakura's outstretched hand that lays at Ino's side. Ino's hallucination increases as she can see that she is dressed in an unfamiliar outfit. A very dark blue long sleeve shirt with numerous pouches lined up along the arms, with a black vest thrown over top, and two odd sheaths line along the small of her back. Her pants are also a matching dark blue, and she can actually feel her head protector hanging around her neck. She unties the head protector and when she turns it around she see's only blood, soaking the head protector, giving no reflective edge to the medal protector, but the distinct symbol of the hidden cloud is easily visible through the blood stains.

The sight before her, used to scare Ino and haunt her dreams to no end . . . but she has seen this image time and time again since the encounter. It is one of the many images . . . memories and thoughts that have been strewn about in her mind, all passing before her as if she were apart of them.

She walks toward the nearby creek that has swelled up to double its size, as the heavy rain has caused the creek to burst its banks. As Ino moves closer to river, she see's that the river runs a deep red, stained by the constant flow of blood from the decimated bodies. As Ino looks around the surrounding area, she can see something that she has never seen before in the images . . . she can see a dark shadow loaming over a number of the bodies. The figure is slouching on his knees facing down toward on of the bodies of a dead shinobi that is still twitching as life leaves its body. As things slowly begin to reveal for Ino, she can see that the figures hand is grasping the dying shinobi's hair tightly in his right hand, with his left hand is raised above the shinobi's chest. The dark figures long black hair is draped in front of his face, preventing Ino from making out who it is. As Ino begins to move closer, she can see a light bluish white energy flowing from the dying body and into the hand of the shadowy figure.

The sounds of moaning and wallowing emanate from the strange light, flowing from the dying shinobi, and not actually from the shinobi himself. As the shinobi takes his last breath and the light stops flowing from him, his head goes limp and then a large gaping wound becomes evident on the side of the man's neck. The image that is already frightening Ino to no end, then becomes unbearable as the shadowing figure looks up and directly at Ino with bright glowing green eyes.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Ino screams as she holds her arms up in front of her face. Instead of hearing the flowing river, or smelling the foul stench of death in the air, Ino can only hear the voices of her friends asking what is wrong and if she is ok, and the smell of Sakura's perfume, and the smell of potato chips on Chouji's breath.

"Ino . . . it's ok . . . we're here for you, don't be afraid." Sakura pleads in an effort to keep the frantic Ino calm.

After several minutes of comforting, Ino begins to calm down and opens up to her friends, embracing Chouji and Sakura in both arms.

Back at the Hokage building, Keinea has been studying the journal without missing a beat. Not breaking for sleep, or something to eat . . . and after several hours of doing so his frustration at his lack of progress has finally caught up with him as he strikes the large scroll with the back of his hand sending it flying across the room unraveling as it spins in the air, hitting the ground and continuing to roll for several feet.

"_This is infuriating. There is nothing in this old geezers' journal that actually talks about HOW the technique works or HOW to use it. I know what it does dammit, but how the hell is that supposed to help me?"_

Keinea places his head between his knees as he sits in his chair, frustrated beyond comprehension of his inability to find any way to help his brother, and free him from his bondage. As he regains his composure a few minutes later and rises from his chair and walks over to the scroll on the ground, he reaches down to pick the scroll up when something catches his attention. It begins with a hand seal sequence, _snake, boar, ram, hare, dog, rat, bird, horse, snake _and ending with a hand clap. As he reads on a smile begins to form on his face.

"THAT'S IT!"

Keinea would then take the scroll with him, fleeing the Hokage building and taking his research to the outskirts of the leaf village to continue his efforts . . . He would not be seen by anyone for three days.

Back in the northern most regions of the thunder country Kakashi and Toshida have been awake for several hours and have been traveling at high speed through the mountains and forests trying to cover as much ground as possible before nightfall, when the best hunters the cloud village have to offer begin their patrols. The two speed through the rough terrain faster then any normal shinobi could hope to and continue to maintain that speed until they almost reach exhaustion as they are soon engulfed by the darkness of night yet again. Their pace slows down and they begin to understand their overwhelming need for rest.

The two both stop behind a large rock roughly three meters' high and seven meters long by 4 meters wide. The rock is surrounded by trees on all sides and the two both catch their breath for several minutes before they both can feel a nearby presence getting closer. A large chakra signature amongst the calm of the night forest, getting closer and closer to their position.

"Oh shit!" Toshida says quietly. "It's a patrol."

The two shinobi determine the chakra source is coming from several dozen meters in front of them and they both lean up tight against the large boulder as Toshida then peeks out from the left side of the rock.

He can see a dark silhouette leaping closer and closer to the position of the two. Withing a few moments, the silhouette becomes more clear to Toshida. The silhouette is six feet tall with a slim but toned build, and a muscular upper body as well as light greenish colored hair that spikes upward and out with several strands that dangle in front of his face and eyes that glow with a tinge of purple as well as green, brandishing a sight that is familiar to Toshida but completely new to Kakashi . . . the bloodline limit of the Raigan eye.

Toshida grimaces and grinds his teeth together in both anger and frustration. As he frantically looks around the area for something that may be useful, a thought finally occurs to him after looking to the ground.

"Kakashi," Toshida says just loud enough for Kakashi to hear, "drop to the ground and cover yourself with snow quickly!"

"What? What are you . . ." Kakashi asks.

"Shut up and do it!"

The two then drop to the ground covering their bodies with as much snow as they possibly can as fast and as quietly as they can. Soon enough, both shinobi are trying their hardest to keep from shivering.

"Now, lower your chakra to zero or as low as possible." Toshida says as he makes the seal of the ram in front of his chest, now only a foot and a half off the ground, as he has had to lie down in the snow to accomplish what he desired.

"All right got it." Kakashi creates the same seal and much faster then Toshida is able to reduce his chakra so low, that even Toshida laying next to him cannot sense his chakra. "No do you want to tell me what the big deal is? How is out there?"

Toshida grinds his teeth together as he peaks yet again around the side of the rock to see the approaching shinobi, stop quickly in his tracks and perch, high above the two and several dozen meters away on the top of a large evergreen tree roughly twenty meters off the ground. The shinobi stays crouched down on the top of the tree and visually surveys' the surrounding area.

"Shit. He must have seen something to get his attention." Toshida says, as he notices Kakashi leaning forward as he clutches a kunai in his left hand. Toshida quickly reaches over and grabs the blade of Kakashi's kunai, telling him that it is unwise to attack this shinobi. "That would not be a good idea. No matter how fast you may be, he would see your movement before you even had a chance to make it."

"What? Who is it?" Kakashi asks getting a stern and cold reaction out of Toshida as he glances onto the ever present hunter, stalking them from above.

"Seshen Raiken." Toshida says, in an ominous tone.

"Seshen Raiken?" Kakashi asks, "You mean the Raikage's adopted son?"

"Yea that's him. The prodigy of the Raigan bloodline."

Kakashi pears out from behind the boulder to catch a glimpse of the Raigan bloodline at work. He can see Seshen looking through the tree tops and along the ground, using the Raigan bloodline to see perfectly in what others would only see as total darkness. As Kakashi examines from a distance, he can make out the distinct features of the Raigan eye. A bright neon green iris with a purple triangular shaped pupil with three black linear pupils lying off to the sides of the triangular shaped pupil. The glow resonates throughout the forest as Seshen scans for energy sources.

"Those eyes . . . that's the Raigan eye?" Kakashi asks, amazed by the glow and complexity of the lightning bloodline.

"Yea, that is the Raigan. The user becomes able to see almost any possible form of energy. Whether it is from the climate, heat from storm clouds or other weather related energy sources or from chakra. The Raigan can see it all."

"I see." Kakashi says as he looks onto Seshen with a skeptical and analytical look. "I see that's why we had to lower our chakra to zero so he couldn't see us with that eye. But why the snow?"

"The Raigan eye can also be tuned to pick up body heat. Even the slightest amount from like a small mammal or even an insect can be picked up with that eye. Throwing the snow on top of us is just a quick way to try and distort the Raigan's view. We have this boulder, our clothes and now the snow to cover our energy signature and our body heat is just delaying the inevitable. The Raigan eye is so sensitive that if he knows where to focus on he will be able to see our body heat . . . even if we were buried beneath twenty feet of rock!"

"Why don't we just both attack him? I am sure that he cannot be that strong." Kakashi questions.

"It is not a matter of whether we are strong enough to beat him." Toshida takes yet another look at Seshen from a distance as he continues searching the area, Toshida can then see two more silhouettes leaping in from behind Seshen. "Seshen does in fact have his own patrol team . . . but he likes to hunt alone."

The two silhouettes then arrive in full cloud shinobi attire and take perches at Seshen's sides on top of two different tree's on either side of the tree that Seshen has made his perch upon. The shinobi both begin searching the area with Seshen although neither of them possesses the Raigan eye.

The shinobi to Seshen's left turns to address his leader, "What is it Seshen-sama, do you see anything?"

Seshen remains quiet for a minute before he responds, keeping an ever present vigil over his search area. "I think . . . there is something down on the ground in front of us . . . but its erratic at best, and it doesn't give off a steady heat signature. It's probably nothing . . . or just some small mammal."

"Well then Seshen-sama, now that the three of us are here, I recommend that we should physically search the area until we know for sure."

"Although I am inclined to agree, do not voice your opinion until I ask for it!" Seshen says with a cold yet stern demeanor.

Suddenly, a third shinobi arrives on the seen coming from the east. It soon becomes evident that it is the third member of Seshen's team. "Seshen-sama, I just made contact with another one of our teams that has been sent out to contact all of our patrols."

"Yes, what have you learned?" Seshen asks.

"It was a direct message from that Raikage."

"My father?" Seshen asks. "What does he ask of me? What does he ask of all his patrols?"

"According to the message I received . . . all patrols are to return to the village immediately."

"What? But why?"

Toshida and Kakashi both strive to hear what it is that the four cloud shinobi are conversing about. They try desperately, but to no avail as neither of them can make out what the voices are saying.

"I do not know the exact reasons for the Raikage's decisions . . ." The fourth shinobi says, "but the rumor that I heard from the ones who delivered the message is . . . we're going to war."

The other three shinobi look on in disbelief at the announcement of the possibility of war. Seshen lowers his head for a moment as he begins to think silently to himself. After several moments of quiet, the remaining three shinobi all look to Seshen to hear his decisions in the matter.

"Well then. If my father wants us to return home . . . then let us make haste . . ." Seshen then rises to his feet and the other three shinobi stand at the ready to execute his next order. " . . . after all . . . we're going to war."

The other three shinobi then take off in a flash back toward the hidden cloud village as Seshen takes one last look toward the ground in front of him, before clasping his hands together in the seal of the tiger.

"**_Raikou Doutai!" (Lightning movement) _**Seshen shouts as he disappears in a bright flash and a quick dispersal of electrical energy that then speeds toward the cloud village at lightning fast speed.

Toshida and Kakashi then exhale a deep breath, having come very close to being found out, bringing their journey back to the village of sin to an abrupt halt. The two then stand up and begin their fast-moving pace back toward the sin village, unaware that the plans of the cloud village had begun to unfold in front of them. And unbeknownst to the two of them, their home village . . . would soon fall victim to an act of war.


	19. In Prepartions For War

_**Chapter 19: In Preparation for War**_

The entire village of the hidden cloud is in an uproar as all of the villages shinobi have returned prematurely from missions and patrols to gather in the Raikage's main hall.Nothing is known for sure, but the rumors have been flying around the entire village ever since the first few shinobi returned home before their missions were finished. Some say that the Raikage is planning on ordering a large scale examination, or that he plans to name a successor after planning to abdicate, but only a select number of the shinobi attending the massive meeting, are actually aware that the Raikage is planning on sending his subordinates off to war.

All of the shinobi have gathered in the massive main hall of the Raikage's palace, all standing up straight and in perfect formation that has come to be expected of the hidden clouds expertly trained military force of more than two hundred men and women. As the ranks finish taking their formation, the Raikage steps forward to address his military as the massive doors to the palace close behind the ranks leaving hundreds of anxious villagers outside wondering what is behind said inside. Number young academy students and the younger genin all do what they can to try and sneak a peak through some of the hall's windows, but the curtains are all soon pulled over the windows, giving the Raikage absolute secrecy for what he is about to discuss.

The Raikage steps forward and addresses his soldiers. "At ease everyone." The Ranks then take a relaxed formation as they listen to their leader. "I will not try and sugarcoat anything for all of you. We are going to war."

The Raikage's words send shivers up some of the shinobi's spines and a large number of the shinobi all begin gossiping quietly amongst one another. "And our enemy is the hidden village of the leaf."

The preceding announcement only increases the gossip, as many of the shinobi in the crowd are old enough to remember the war the two villages fought only ten years earlier. Many of the other shinobi, lost family members in the conflict and are unsure as to why they too are being asked to fight against their former enemy.

Near the front of the ranks, the Raikage's adopted son Seshen Raiken, stands with a concerned and confused look on his face. _"Why are we going to war with the leaf? There has been no declaration of war sent out. And the leafs have not attacked us . . . we would be the aggressors in this conflict, and I doubt that fact would sit well with all of the neighboring nations."_

One of the shinobi in the crowd raises his hand with a question that is soon acknowledged by the Raikage. "Raikage-sama, why is it that we are going to war with the leaf village?"

"The leaf village is harboring a criminal formerly from our village. This criminal is responsible for the deaths of many of our shinobi. He is also responsible for the assassination of my former commander and three of his subordinates, and recently took part in an assassination attempt on my life as well!" The Raikage looks to crowd which only minutes ago was in serious doubt about the Raikage's plan, now have their eyes filled with a zealous desire to bring this criminal to justice.

Meanwhile, Seshen remains uncertain about the whole idea. _"That doesn't make any sense, I know that Shin was killed . . . but we found his subordinates alive . . ."_

"And furthermore, I have learned that the leaf village not only has been harboring this criminal, but that have also been aiding in his actions." The Raikage's words send an uproar through the now ravenous crowd. "And the criminal that they have been harboring is none other then the Butcher of Tarawa Creek!" The crowd then continues chatting amongst itself as the words "Akira Toshida" pop up all over the crowd, and many of the shinobi old enough to remember the cloud and leaf's last conflict, remember the aftermath of what is now called, "The Battle at Blood river."

"I want all of you to be ready for combat and travel in six hours. You are to pack for a heavy siege and be ready for anything. We will be heading to the rendezvous point in just more than six hours where we will meet up with our new allies, and prepare for battle." The Raikage says, opening up the floor to a new question.

"Who are our new allies Raikage-sama?" A miscellaneous ninja asks.

"Our new ally . . . Is Orochimaru, and the village of hidden sound." The Raikage answers, getting only an overwhelming gasp from the crowd.

"Orochimaru? Are you serious Raikage-sama? Can he really be trusted?"

"I heard he was responsible for the deaths of the sand's Kazekage and the Hokage of the leaf. How can we be allied with such a person?"

"I heard he is nothing more than a treacherous snake."

"That is enough!" The Raikage shouts, bringing the crowd to an abrupt silence. "Whatever Orochimaru has done with other villages is none of our concern. He has not shown any hostility to our village or our country. He has offered to help with our effort against the leaf village. In return, all that he asks is that Akira Toshida been brought into his custody to answer for the crimes committed against the sound village. This is not negotiable. We will ally ourselves with Orochimaru and bring Akira Toshida to justice no matter what. And we will also make the leaf village pay for harboring and encourage such criminal activity."

"After our arrival in the sound village, our preparations will be made for the siege. All of our shinobi will be dressed in sound village uniforms, so that if the leaf were to counter attack, there will be no evidence that we were involved in the conflict, and the attack will go to the sound village, where there are no innocent lives to be lost. You can remain content in the thought that none of your loved ones will face any retaliation from the leaf village. After the preparations are made, we will attack in approximately two days from now."

"All right, I want everyone out of this room and ready to leave in less then six hours. We will disband into twenty groups that will then be separated into five sub groups each. Allowing everyone to move in teams of two with the exception of my caravan and several other small convoys all under the disguise of merchant carriages. This way we will be able to travel from the cloud village, through the thunder country in small groups and smaller pairings, so we do not gather any unwanted attention. When we meet later in the day, everyone will be divided into their groups and given a departure time from the village, so that everyone does not leave in one solid mass, as to worry the other villagers." The Raikage continues laying down the plans as all of his shinobi watch attentively, anxious to get underway. "And lastly . . . no one in this room is to discuss what has been talked about here today, and what will happen in two days time. As far as you are all concerned, this meeting never took place and the war will have never taken place." And with a wave of his hand the Raikage sends everyone off to prepare for the coming battle. "Dismissed!"

All of the shinobi then begin to file out of the massive hall, and all talking amongst one another about what is going to happen to them shortly. When the shinobi make it outside the hall, they are instantly silent, not telling anyone outside the palace what has just been discussed. Demonstrating their true loyalty to their leader.

The Raikage's son however, does not leave the palace hall right away and Seshen's face then fills with an angry and determined look as he remembers the young man he knew long ago. _"Toshida . . . it's been a long time hasn't it? I find out that not only have you been hiding in the village of our former allies . . . but you have tried to assassinate my father . . . again!" _Seshen's eyes then change from their standard color to the blistering glare of the Raigan eye, as his emotions begin to get the best of him. "_The last time we met, I graduated . . . and you went home beaten and bruised. When we meet again . . . I will send you home . . . in a coffin!"_

Meanwhile, in the hidden leaf village Tsunade has been looking around the Hokage building and around the village for the last few days, searching for Keinea who was engrossed in the third Hokage's journal for quite some time searching for the secrets of the death god technique without any success. When Tsunade had searched the office in which Keinea was working in, she found only a number of scrolls knocked to the ground and the light was left on as if Keinea had left abruptly. When Tsunade's search turned up no answers and no findings in the villages main center, Tsunade decides to personally search the outskirts of the village for the missing sin shinobi. After an hour or so of searching, she finds the shinobi.

Keinea is standing with his feet roughly a meter apart and his knees bent, with his back facing Tsunade. She approaches quietly, but making no real effort to keep her presence a secret. She notices that Keinea's right arm has its sleeve rolled up all the way to his shoulder and she can see the scared mark of the sealing technique that is used to tranquillize the dragon when it gets too strong for Toshida to control. As she moves closer, she can see from behind that Keinea has begun a seal sequence. Although she cannot make it out, the seals made are, _snake, boar, ram, hare, dog, rat, bird, horse, snake _and ending with a hand clap.

As Tsunade draws closer, a concerned look begins to form on her face and she slows her walking pace down substantially as she gets closer to Keinea. The technique he is performing as begun to disturb the surrounding air around the two and both Tsunade and Keinea's hair begins to blow violently in the wind. As Tsunade moves closer, she begins to see the outlines of something forming behind Keinea. From behind Tsunade can see a bright shock of long but spikey white hair forming and a figure beginning to form around the hair. She can then see a long white robe with only the white hair covered head and now dark greyish blue hands visible out of each arm of the robe. In one hand Tsunade can see a strand of bright red beads wrapped around the dark skin of the ominous figure forming behind Keinea. When the figure's head begins to turn around, Tsunade can see a large dagger being held in the strange creature's mouth and large red horns that protrude out of the large mound of white hair. A deep and evil laugh can then be heard echoing through area emanating from the strange figure as if straight out of a nightmare. The finished figure stands more then three times Keinea's size and looks onto him with a sinister look on its face, as six large white candle-like flames suspended in mid air appear around the large figure, and a translucent light blue outline of Keinea then appears as if crucified, in front of the large figure. Tsunade can only look on in horror as she then realizes . . . that this is Shinigami . . . the death god.

"_**Fuinjutsu: Shiki Fuujin! **(Sealing Technique: Demonic Soul Seal) _Keinea shouts out loud drawing Tsunade to move in front of the boy in order to get his attention.

"Stop it, are you insane! What are you trying to do?" Tsunade yells angrily at Keinea who does not answer. "Are you listening to me? There is no way that you can summon the death god and survive! Why are you are doing this!" Tsunade desperately tries to reason with shinobi who is no concentrating intensely on what he is doing with the sealing technique.

Beads of sweat roll down Keinea's face as he tries to maintain the technique. "Just leave me alone and let . . . me . . . try this. I think I can adjust the death god's technique to help my brother."

"That doesn't matter, you will kill yourself if you keep this up. Do you think that is what your brother wants?" Tsunade screams as she tries to plead with the zealous boy.

"I will do whatever it takes to help free my brother . . . whether or not I survive is irrelevant so don't interfere!" Keinea shouts and sheer chakra and the force of the death god's power hits Tsunade like a sledgehammer sending her tumbling into the air and hitting the ground hard.

Keinea then begins to start another seal sequence while still maintaining the death god's presence. _Ox, Tiger, Snake, Boar, Monkey, Ram, Rat, Snake, Hare, Horse, Rooster, Tiger, Dragon, Dog,_ Keinea recites the seals out loud as he concentrates all of his chakra for this technique. Tsunade watches on in horror as the death god reaches out his hand and lines it up along the astral image of Keinea's soul lining up its own arm with Keinea's right arm. The seal on Keinea's right arm then activates and the arcane symbols begin to flood outward toward the palm of Keinea's hand. Keinea grimaces in pain and tries hard not to scream out as the seal then begins to change from the one used to seal the dragon before, and the seals flowing out of the seal itself begin to change as well into the same pattern that runs along the arms and hands of the death god itself. Keinea can no longer hold the pain in and he screams out loud as the death god begins morphing Keinea's entire arm to match its own.

"KEINEA! STOP IT OR YOU WILL KILL YOURSELF AND YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO HELP YOUR BROTHER!" Tsunade screams, desperate to knock some sense into the boy.

"GGGRRRRAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!" Keinea can only scream out in agony as tears roll down his cheeks. He looks at his changing arm and can see the seals beginning to finish their transformation as they return back to the initial seal in which the original seals came from. But it seems to be too late as Keinea begins to go limp and loses his concentration on the technique. The seals begin to change back into their original state and the death god begins to fade away.

"Dammit this has got to end here!" Tsunade then leaps to her feet and runs at full speed toward Keinea, determined to save his life. As she finally reaches the almost unconscious shinobi she tackles him to the ground completely destroying Keinea's concentration and dispelling the technique, causing the death god to disappear completely. She begins checking Keinea's vital signs just before the young shinobi passes out.

"You . . . had . . . no right to . . . interfere." Keinea mutters just before he loses consciousness.

Tsunade picks the boy up and slings him over her shoulders in a fireman's carry and begins muttering to herself, "Stupid boy . . . you stupid . . . stupid little boy!" Tsunade then moves as fast as she can back to the village and to the hospital where she would later successfully treat Keinea's injuries.

In the northern regions of the cloud village Kakashi and Toshida are nearing their destination, having found an eery feeling lingering all around the area as it has been completely void of all troop movements.

"This is strange Kakashi. I haven't felt a single patrol or even a stray shinobi in the area ever since our encounter with Seshen last night. And he left the area in a hurray and was headed back to the village. I am not sure but I think something is up." Toshida says as he continues leaping through the air and trees on his way to his birthplace.

"I am inclined to agree with you. I don't think that all of the shinobi of this village would just return home all at once unless there was something big planned. Perhaps there is some kind of operation in the works."

"Perhaps you're right." Toshida says, as he leaps through the trees before suddenly grimacing in pain as he clutches at his chest. He loses his concentration and his leg clips a tree branch instead of landing firmly on it, and he trips and tumbles to the ground before landing hard in a large snow drift. "Dammit . . . not now . . . shit this is not good." Toshida mutters to himself as he continues clutching at his chest.

Kakashi lands in front of Toshida with a kunai at the ready as he knows that Toshida's pain is caused by the dragon. "We have to keep moving. You are going to need a treatment soon."

"How did you know Kakashi?" Toshida continues clutching at his chest as he rises to his feet, out of breath and slightly bruised from his fall.

"I was able to sense a quick impulse of immense chakra coming from you just before you fell. I figured it was most likely the dragon beginning to stir. You do realize that I have orders to eliminate you if you become too much of a threat to contain." Kakashi says as he readies his kunai in front of him.

"Don't worry Kakashi. I understand your commitments. But it isn't all that bad right now, we are just getting close to the village and the beast knows it. It is starting to react . . . considering that I am bringing it home. It knows what I know."

The two then continue on their way to the village moving through the trees and the snow drifts until they notice at one point, all the snow on the ground just discontinues and cannot be seen on the ground. The trees then stop growing and a large mountain top appears in front of the two, rising high into the sky and above the clouds. The two make their way up the steep mountain moving faster then any other shinobi could hope to. The two reach the top of the mountain and begin sliding down the smothered southern face of the mountain. When the clouds and fog and mist begin to clear a large open and barren wasteland becomes visible to both Kakashi and Toshida with the sky above the wasteland is riddled by ferocious and rolling storms with lightning rumbling and stalking across the sky that is as black as night in the middle of the day time. Kakashi looks on in disbelief while Toshida is branded by a humbled look of sadness.

He looks around the area before moving into it and says out loud, "Well then . . . welcome home I suppose."

_**(Continued in The Toshida Gaiden Chapter 8: "Night Of The Weeping Sins" To be posted soon.)**_

It has been six hours, and the cloud army has gathered just outside the walls of the hidden cloud village, ready to set off on their journey to the sound village before making their final preparations for the invasion of Konoha. Seshen Raiken finishes strapping on the remainder of his equipment as he makes his way to the Raikage who is at the front of the massive group.

"Father!" Seshen shouts as he closes in on his adopted parent.

"Ah, Seshen!" The Raikage says as a smile strikes across his face as he embraces his son. "I apologize for not greeting you as soon as you returned from your scouting mission, but this . . . undertaking has really kept me busy. I trust that everything went smoothly and that you finished up your rounds before I you had to return here?"

"Yes father, my team and I managed to cover more then a third of the northern countryside before we returned home. We made our sweep without incident . . . with the exception of . . ."

"I'm sorry Seshen, hold on a minute I am afraid I must address our forces here." The Raikage makes his way to the front of the grouping once again, leaving Seshen to fall back into the ranks.

The Raikage takes a quick stroll along the front of the ranks, followed by his personal bodyguards. "You have all been given your orders, and you have been giving your departure time and route. We have less then 24 hours to arrive in the sound village where the final planning phase of the attack will take place. I expect nothing more than what you have all given to me in the past . . . perfection! This mission is of the utmost secrecy and importance . . . execute it well. I want no mistakes in this campaign. Now, let us go!"

The Raikage's words send a cheer throughout the crowd of shinobi who all then take off at high speed, all in different directions, following their respective routes and departure times. The Raikage makes his way to the carriage that will take him to their destination as the rest of his caravan loads up and readies to depart. Seshen makes his way through the remnants of the large crowd as he tries to get his father's attention. He meets up with his father at the back of the carriage to the surprise and humiliation of the cloud leader.

"Oh Seshen I am sorry, I forgot. What did you need to talk to me about? And please be quick. We must be going."

"I wanted your permission father to finish up the last run of my patrol. We encountered something strange just before we had to leave and I just want to be sure that it was nothing to worry about."

"Although your commitment to your duties is commendable, I cannot permit one of my best soldiers to go off in search of something that may not even be a problem. I am sorry but I need you with my caravan. I want you to lead the second wave of our troops into the village. I need you to take part in this invasion. I cannot pull this off smoothly without your assistance Seshen. You know that!" The Raikage says sternly as he tries to understand the reasoning behind his son's request.

"I understand father, I have never broken a promise to you before and I swear that I shall return and meet up with your caravan within twenty-four hours." Seshen pleads.

The Raikage lets out a sigh as he looks around the area and tries to figure out what to say next. "Where is the last section of your patrol Seshen?"

"It is along the northern border and into the Raikou colony." Seshen says with a look of the utmost in determination.

"You mean the village of sin!" The Raikage exclaims, almost outraged by the request put before him. "That alone will take you almost twenty-four hours just to reach! How do you expect to make it back here in time, let alone meet up with my caravan?"

"Father, you know that with my jutsu I can make it there in less then half the time. And if I find no threats to deal with I can double back at twice the speed, and reach your caravan by tomorrow night. Please father. I just have a bad feeling about the area that I did not get to survey. I wish only to complete my duties."

The Raikage takes a deep breath as he looks into the young shinobi's eyes, filled with pride for his home land and dedication to his father. "Seshen, sometimes I wish that I had more shinobi like you. Your dedication is something that any leader would only dream of. I will grant you this request, but you must be back to rendezvous with our caravan by tomorrow night. At that point we will need all of our key players to be present for the final preparations to be made."

"Yes Father!" Seshen takes a bow before his father before turning around and quickly running north to get a head start on his father's caravan. When he reaches the northern border of the village. He slams his hands together in the seal of the tiger and readies his jutsu.

"_**Raikou Doutai" **(Lightning movement) _Seshen's body once again quickly disperses into sheer electricity and moves at incredible speed as he heads north toward the area of the previous nights disturbance.

Meanwhile, Keinea has fully recovered from his incident with the death god, with no real adverse side effects. However, with the Hokage and his teammates present, he must no explain his attentions to all of them.

"Well I suppose I have some explaining to do." Keinea says as he lets out a chuckle. He soon becomes unable to remain amused when no one else in the room is laughing and he finds himself on the receiving end of three unhappy glares.

"Just what the hell were you doing?" Maea erupts, "Tsunade-sama filled us in on your little experience with the death god, you know that you could have been killed? And if that were to happen, what would we do then? There would be no third person to help seal Toshida-sama if the dragon were to begin to take control, and how in the hell would I explain to him that while he was out of the village his little brother killed himself!"

"Toshida isn't back yet?" Toragai says in a surprised tone. "I thought he was supposed to be back yesterday?"

"He was supposed to be back yesterday." Tsunade interjects, "but the patrols along the thunder countries borders have been really tight as of late, likely do to what happened back in the wave country. Toshida and Kakashi then planned to change their route so that they would avoid most of the patrols and take a safe route to their destination. They should still be at least another day. Most likely two or three if they have to really search around for what they are looking for."

"Oh . . . well then. I guess that's understandable." Toragai says in a slightly nervous tone that is quickly dismissed as the interrogation of Keinea continues.

"Well Keinea, we're waiting. What do you have to say for yourself?" Tsunade says.

"My research into the third's journal's eventually led me to read about how the technique was designed, how it worked . . . even the hand seals were all in there. So I took the scroll to the outskirts of the village so I could study them without interruption and without distraction. After the first day I had a full understanding of how to use the technique. The only problem was that the technique steals and then seals the soul of the person it is being used on. When it is all finished, the seal is left on the user's body just before he dies. I don't want to kill my brother . . . and I don't want to die alongside him . . . I figured since the seal on that Naruto kid is so much stronger then the one on my brother, it might be possible to seal the dragon in my brother permanently but also tranquilize it in a way to the point that it will never wake up. And when my brother dies when he is an old man, then the dragon will die to." Keinea takes a solemn glance out the window as the thought of his brother even eventually dying is hard for him to think about.

"But how did you plan to do that without killing the two of you?" Maea asks.

"I was channeling the death god's ability through my arm and into the seal that we all bare. If I was able to mix and combine the power of the two of them, I may be able to simply lock my brother's seal using the death seal, sealing the dragon in him completely without having to remove his soul from him the process."

Tsunade looks on in awe and curiosity as the boy's knowledge of sealing jutsu is magnificent for any shinobi. _"This boy . . . is incredible. To be able to understand the effects and processes involved in such a complicated line of jutsu as sealing techniques, and let alone the dangerous technique he has been delving into is unfathomable . . . especially for someone his age._" Tsunade looks onto Keinea as he continues explaining his intentions. _"This child, may be one of the most promising young shinobi in all of the five countries . . . it is his love for his brother that makes him so strong."_

"So I just need to do a little more research and training and I am sure that I can make this work. It just hurts like hell . . ." Keinea looks to his arm that is still red and very tender, as if covered by a severe sunburn. "I had almost completed the technique and merged the two seals perfectly before I passed out. I just . . . I just need a little more time."

"Well Keinea," Tsunade says grabbing the attention of all in the room. "I can't allow you to risk your life for this plan of yours. You and I will continue to do our research into this technique, and now that you have a plan set out and you know how it has been working, let us find a way to make the technique work without putting your life and that of your brothers in jeopardy."

"All right!" Keinea shouts as he leaps up from his hospital bed. He starts getting dressed as the other three leave the room.

"Well I am off!" Toragai shouts as he heads down the hall with a boyish smile on his face.

"And where the hell are you going?" Maea asks sternly.

"Just going on one of my little strolls. I thought Toshida was gonna be back and me and him could do some training, but I guess I gotta find something else to do to kill the time!"

"Fine. But quit disappearing on us for so long, let us know what you are up to!" Maea shouts as Toragai disappears down the stairs.

"Well I should be checking in on another patient of mine." Tsunade says as she smiles from ear to ear. "Ino is being released today!"

"The girl that Toshida injured?" Maea asks.

"Yes. Her wounds on the outside of healed, but she will need to undergo some more therapy in order to heal the mental wounds that she suffered. I thought that her being allowed to do it around her friends and family back at home might make things go a little more smoothly for her. After all, I can't imagine that being cooped up in a hospital bed for a long period of time is the most mentally stable thing for someone to experience."

As Keinea finishes getting dressed, he leaves his hospital room behind him and begins following Maea, and Tsunade down the hallway. As they approach Ino's room, they can see Sakura, Shikamaru, Naruto and Chouji all leaving the room as Ino slowly makes her way out of her intensive care unit for the first time since the wave country. She moves slow and deliberate, her face still uncertain about all that is going on around her, and her eyes still remain slightly filled with tears as the nervousness she feels is still weighing heavily on her mind.

As the Tsunade, Maea, and Keinea keep walking down the hall way, they remain quiet so they do not startle Ino in anyway and they do not speak, as her recovery has been slow and deliberate. Chouji is surprise that she has begun to cower in a corner at the mere sight of someone unfamiliar. As the two groups acknowledge one, another Ino walks by Keinea who is at the back of the group. As she walks alongside him her shoulder brushes against his ever so slightly sending a shock up through her body and she stops immediately in her tracks. Her eyes are wide open with a shocking and horrified glare as something frightening is stirring in her mind.

In Ino's mind she can hear the echoing of voices crying out for help, full of sorrow and weeping, but no screams of pain as she has been accustom to hearing. Instead of the screaming and moaning, she can hear two phrases repeated over and over again by dozens of different voices. _"Don't let go . . . set them free . . ." _are the words echoing in Ino's mind. Chouji is quick to notice Ino's distress and comes to her aid embracing her firmly in arms that Ino has come to trust.

"Ino! What's the matter? Are you ok?" Chouji then turns his attention around to Keinea, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt as he stares angrily into his eyes. "What the hell did you do to her you son of a . . ."

"I-I-I didn't say anything to her. I didn't do anything!" Keinea pleads, worried about his own safety yet remaining sensitive to Ino's unfortunate disposition.

Ino drops to her knees and vomits on the floor as tears flow from her eyes yet again. The scene is too much for Chouji to bare and he readies his fist and sends it toward Keinea at a thunderous speed. Before the fist connects with what would be left of Keinea's head, Tsunade blocks the punch easily with her fist, bringing and end to the quick skirmish.

"That's enough Chouji! Keinea did nothing!"

"Then why is she like this again!" Chouji demands.

"Stop yelling! Your scaring her!" Shikamaru says sternly in an effort to end the quarrel.

Eventually all parties involved except for Keinea and Ino begin arguing amongst each other. Keinea reaches down to try and help Ino to her feet, but as soon as his hand touches her arm the thoughts and voices return louder then before, recycling their message over and over again faster and faster until Ino cannot take the psychic torment anymore and screams out loud bringing everyone to a dead silence. As Keinea tries to pull away and keep from touching the poor girl, Ino reaches out with both hands and grasps on to Keinea's wrist, pulling him to the floor in one jerk of her arms. She then looks down to Keinea, now back straight against the cold hospital hallway floor, her eyes still trembling with a terrified look in her face, she leans down quickly until her mouth is just an inch away from Keinea's ear . . . Now Keinea is the one that is frightened.

"Don't . . . let go . . . set . . . them . . . free . . ." Ino whispers into Keinea's ear sending chills up and down his spine. "Don't . . . let go . . . set them free." Ino continues whispering the haunting words into Keinea's ear getting louder and louder with every recycling of the phrase, until she is screaming at the top of her lungs.

Naruto and Chouji then grab a hold of Ino and return her to her hospital room, kicking and still screaming incoherently where unfortunately she must stay until her mental state stabilizes. Tsunade and Sakura help Keinea to his feet where he is shaken up but otherwise uninjured.

"What the hell was that!" Keinea asks, still panicking from the emotionally intense event.

"I-I don't know. She was doing so much better . . ." Tsunade says, finding herself at a loss for words. "Don't let go, set them free? What does that mean?"

"How the hell am I suppose to know? All I did was brush alongside her and she freaked out!" Keinea tries to calm down as the encounter with the delusional Ino has left him shaken and extremely agitated.

Sakura looks on quietly and concerned as she looks into Ino's hospital room where she has once again fallen unconscious. As she looks in the room, she can see Shikamaru and Naruto shaking their heads in confusion as neither know what to make of the situation. Meanwhile, she can see Chouji storming toward the door swinging it open in a rage as he looks on angrily to Keinea.

"Where is your brother?" Chouji asks angrily.

"He isn't in the village Chouji, him and Kakashi-sensei are out on a mission for the time being. There is no need to start anything here." Sakura says as she places a hand on Chouji's shoulder in what would be a vein attempt to restrain the angry behemoth.

"When he returns to the village . . . you make sure that he knows I am looking for him." With that being said, Chouji storms off down the hallway punching over a garbage can as he walks away.

"This is not a healthy situation." Maea says as she watches the scorned leaf shinobi walking away.

Meanwhile, Seshen Raiken has been traveling for two hours at his top speed through the area that his team was unable to finish searching through. He quickly notices tracks along the ground, and the snow on the branches has been disturbed in numerous places.

"So there was someone here. And they are heading west from here."

Seshen reaches the same mountain that Kakashi and Toshida reached only a few hours before, and begins to survey along the mountain side. He quickly activates his Raigan eye and begins to search the area with greater detail, looking for any possible energy along the ground. It is the first time that Seshen has ever seen the Village of Sin and he does not know of the difficulty inherent when searching through the Raikou colony, and he continues visually surveying the landscape. His view however, is easily distorted by the raging storms above him, making it hard for him to focus in on any one point of energy. With the continuous lightning strikes covering the terrain, Seshen's job only becomes harder and he begins to considers deactivating the eye. Before turning the eye off he notices to faint energy signatures radiating from roughly three kilometers into the colony. They appear only as small red dots amongst a sea of black, purple and blue, indicating to Seshen that the dots are radiating body heat and not energy from some other outside source.

"Well . . . well . . . well. What do we have here? Two little insects seem to want to move in uninvited into my home. Hmpf, cowards didn't even have the courage to use the front door, they had to sneak around the back!" Seshen broods quickly in his anger before raising his left hand into the air while making the seal of a half ram with his right hand.

"**_Raiton: Doudentai! (Lightning Element: Conductor_**) The sky above Seshen begins to swirl around and the storm begins to culminate heavier in a single point before a bolt of lightning strikes down from the sky and into Seshen's hand as it surges along his body electrocuting him momentarily before he focuses his concentration into the Raigan eye.

"_If I can just use the Raigan to harness this energy, I should be at 100 for when I have to fight with them."_ The electricity begins to stop surging through Seshen's body as the Raigan eye has allowed Seshen to transform the energy of the lightning bolt into a tremendous amount of chakra to be used as reserves for Seshen. Seshen then leaps into the air as he speeds his way toward the two energy signatures.

"_If it is you Toshida . . . there will be no one to stop me this time . . ."_


	20. Assemble In The Sound

_**Chapter 20: Assemble In The Sound**_

Orochimaru stands on a hill top over looking a wide portion of the rice field country's border. The wind blows through his dark black hair as a smile makes its way onto his face as he can see a single shinobi coming over the hill in full military gear walking straight for the hidden sound village. Orochimaru then turns around and walks back toward his stronghold in the heart of the sound village, as the single shinobi is joined by four more. And then ten more, then twenty more, and so on until there is the entire two hundred plus cloud village army coming over the hill toward the sound village.

The Raikage's caravan lies at the center of the group surrounded by his closest personal bodyguards and assistants. He reveals himself from the back of the caravan and gives orders to the shinobi following the caravan.

"All right, I want everyone to fall into ranks as soon as they reach the village. You are to remove all of your head protectors and any other identification that may be used to identify us." The Raikage moves to the front of the caravan and repeats the orders to those ninjas' that are a head of the caravan. "We will place all the identification in the caravans and pick them up after the engagement. I want no excuses, and no slip ups!"

As the cloud village arrives in the sound, they are greeted by Orochimaru and one of his subordinates, who stand at the front of additional troops from the sound village, roughly between seventy-five and one hundred. Standing in the line of troops, is the cloaked figure that aided Orochimaru in his persuasion of the Raikage back in the village. The figure stands with the hood of his cloak pulled over his head, blowing in the wind as he stands quietly amongst the rest of the sound village shinobi.

"Welcome to the sound village, Raikage-dono." Orochimaru says, "I am glad to see that you decided to take me up on my offer."

"Yes I have Orochimaru. My troops and I will do whatever you need to aid the invasion, but I expect to have what I was promised. With no excuses." The Raikage retorts.

"Don't worry Raikage-dono, my informant has mapped out the entire village for us and will see to it that our initial attack is successful in maintaining the element of surprise." Orochimaru then leads the Raikage and his closest entourage toward Orochimaru's stronghold. "Raikage-dono, if you will direct your shinobi to my men, they will get all of your soldiers equipped and dressed as sound shinobi."

"Very well." The Raikage simply nods to one of his attendants, and the attendant rallies the ranks and leads them to the sound shinobi. The Raikage and Orochimaru then enter Orochimaru's compound and make their way to Orochimaru's war room.

"We have knowledge of all of their ANBU patrols throughout the area and where their strongest resistance is located." Orochimaru then points out the area's weak points on a scale-sized map on the table in his war room.

"I am not worried about their guards, or their patrols, or any of their strong points in the village. From what I hear, the other two Sannin are in the village at this time. One of them of coarse is the Hokage, but Jiraiya will also be a problem if he is allowed to mount a defense against our forces. If he gets involved, it won't matter if the village is blind folded when we attack, we cannot counter his jutsu's and still maintain the advantage." The Raikage blurts out as he gets increasingly agitated at Orochimaru's confidence.

"I told you already Raikage-dono. I will take care of them both. I know Tsunade's weakness and I will exploit it personally. That is what those "volunteers" that you brought with you are for. I will personally take care of Tsunade with two of the volunteers."

"But what about Jiraiya?" The Raikage asks, "He is the one I am worried about. The Toad Hermit is not someone to be underestimated. How do you plan to take care of him?"

"According to my informant, there is also some new organization in the leaf village specially trained to handle Sharingan users. That is where my newest associate will come in handy. He and Kabuto will take care of Jiraiya."

Meanwhile in the leaf village, a lone guard is pacing back and forth in front of the main gates to the leaf village as he awaits his relief at the end of his shift. The guard is a young chuunin roughly 19 years of age. He holds a long spear in his left hand that is now hanging limp at his side.

"Aw man . . . where the hell is my relief?" The young man asks himself. "I have been here since midnight last night and I feel like I am gonna pass out. Sheesh, stupid dirt all over my shoes . . . why is it so hot out today? It may be summer but . . . it shouldn't be this hot." The realization that the young man is muttering gibberish to himself soon dawns on the young chuunin. "Oh man . . . if I'm not careful I am going to end up talking to myself."

The young mans attention is soon drawn to a shadow coming over the ridge, the shadow moves coarsely, drifting from side to side as they try to follow the path. As the figure comes into plain view, the young shinobi can make out a womanly figure in bloody clothing drifting from side to side in an effort to simply remain standing.

"What the hell is this?" The shinobi asks himself. "Hey! You there! Are you all right? Do you need help?"

The young woman trips and falls to her knees. The woman tries regaining her vertical base but is too weak to even stand. The young guard runs over to the young woman, dropping his spear as he gets closer to the young girl. He grabs a hold of the woman and looks at her more closely to try and figure out what exactly is wrong with the woman. His attention soon turns to the kunai stuck in the woman's back.

"Holy crap!" The young shinobi shouts. "Someone help! I need some help over here!"

The young shinobi's relief finally shows up and helps the young guard lift the woman up and the three of them then carry the young girl into the village.

"Step aside people!" One of the shinobi shouts, "SOMEBODY GET HELP!"

The townspeople scatter about trying to get in contact with one of the medical teams scattered throughout the village. When help finally arrives to help the young woman, looks up to the young man holding her in his arms, looks into his eyes with a look of utter fear and says, "Those eyes . . . his eyes . . . they were . . ." The young woman shudders in fear and pain and is taken away by the medical teams.

When she arrives in the hospital, she begins to explain what had happened to her vaguely while the medical times try to stop her bleeding and save the young girls life. "They . . . they are after the sacred water . . . you have to stop them . . . please . . . I beg . . . of you."

"Please girl save your strength. We are trying to help you, not interrogate you. But you can help us out, where were you injured? Who attacked you?"

"My . . . ribs . . . and my chest . . . they hurt . . . a lot. My family . . . they're in danger . . . you have to help them . . . Please, I came . . . I came here looking for help. They . . . are still . . . they're still . . . they are still attacking the village. We need . . . Your help . . ."

"Who my dear?" The nurse asks. "Who attacked you?"

"His eyes . . . they were . . . red . . . he . . . he breathed fire . . . and attacked us . . . he murdered . . . anyone that got in his way . . ."

The young woman's mouth then fills with blood and she begins convulsing profusely has she is going into shock. The medics make as many efforts as they possibly can to save the young girls life. Using every possible relevant medical jutsu in their arsenal to help the woman survive.

An hour later, Tsunade has arrived at the young girl's hospital room to check in on their mysterious visitor. When Tsunade opens the door, the medic assigned to looking after the young woman is pulling the white sheet over the young girl's face and head.

"What happened?" Tsunade asks.

"We are not sure exactly Tsunade-sama. " The medic replies. "From the looks of it all and our initial examination, she died due to massive internal injuries and bleeding. From the looks of the wounds, they were caused by shuriken and kunai."

"So she was attacked?" Tsunade asks. "Where was she from?"

"It would appear that her village was invaded by unknown attackers, and we found this in her supply bag." The medic hands Tsunade a head protector covered in blood.

Tsunade grabs a sterilized towel from a box on the counter of the hospital room and wipes the blood from the metal plate of the head protector, revealing the insignia that is associated with the Hidden Falls Village.

"She was from the Hidden Falls village?" Tsunade exclaims just as Sakura, Maea and Naruto come running up behind her from down the hall.

"Who is from the hidden falls village?" Naruto asks.

"A young girl stumbled into the village about an hour ago having suffered serious injuries from an attack on her village." The medic says.

"I was hearing about that amongst the rest of the villagers." Sakura replies. "I was coming here to see if I could do anything to help, and I ran into Maea and Naruto on the way."

"Is the girl ok?" A concerned Maea inquires.

"Afraid not." Tsunade holds up the young girls damaged and still blood soaked head protector in her left hand. "She didn't make it. Apparently someone attacked her village and she must have escaped and came here to seek help."

"That's awful. Who attacked them? The Hidden Falls Village is peaceful. They have nothing of value." Sakura says as she tries to understand what the attacked may have been caused by. It soon dawns on her that their mission over a year ago to the Hidden Falls village, revealed the secret of the hidden village. "Damn, they must have been after the sacred water!"

"What did you say?" Tsunade asks.

"The girl did say that whoever it was that attacked them was after the sacred water." The medic adds. "She noticed something about one of the attackers eyes. And from the sounds of it, he liked using fire jutsu on his opponents."

"But how did the attackers located the entrance to the waterfall village?" Tsunade asks, sparking a reaction from both Naruto and Sakura, who turn to each other, both thinking the same thing. "From what I hear the entrance to the village is very well hidden. Almost impossible to find unless you were in the village before."

"We know how they got in Tsunade-sama." Sakura says silently, holding her head low as thoughts and memories soon rush back into her mind.

"What are you talking about Sakura? Who attacked them?" Tsunade asks.

"Sasuke . . ." Naruto says quietly drawing attention from all those involved in the conversation. "He saw the entrance to the village just like we did. He would know how to get inside. Also the fire jutsu's are one of Sasuke's signature techniques, and she must have been referring to the Sharingan."

The hair on Tsunade's neck begins to stand on end as she realizes the negative possibilities inherent with the idea of Orochimaru possessing both Sasuke as a container, and the sacred water as well. She quickly makes the decision to send a force to the hidden falls village as soon as possible in an effort to intercept the attackers before they leave the sieged village, and alleviate the villagers' suffrage.

"Sakura! Find me Gai or any of the members of SICT. I need to send them on a mission." Tsunade then turns to Naruto who stands quietly looks downward and clenching his fist as the memories of his estranged friend brings back a lot of emotions. "Naruto! I need you to find Jiraiya. If Sasuke is in the hidden falls village, then it is likely that Orochimaru is with him. If not then, we may be able to gather valuable intelligence on Orochimaru's plans and operations. I cannot leave the village at this time, but Jiraiya is the only other person in the village that may be a match for Orochimaru. The SICT will also need another strong leader, with Kakashi still out of the village."

"RIGHT!" Both Sakura and Naruto reply in unison. The two genin the leave Tsunade presence running as fast as they can to locate their respective targets.

Maea follows behind and leaves the building with Sakura as the two of them begin their quick search for Gai. Naruto heads in the opposite direction to find Jiraiya . . . most likely sitting in a bar somewhere drinking sake and looking for young girls.

Meanwhile outside the village, amongst the massive maze of trees and tall grass, a lone shinobi sits watching the events in the village unfold through a set of high-powered binoculars. As he see's Naruto talking with Jiraiya and leading him back to the hospital to meet with Tsunade, the shinobi laughs quietly to himself. He then turns his focus to Sakura and Maea who lead Gai and a number of SICT team members to the same location.

"Well . . . I suppose that it is safe to say that they have fallen for it all." As the scene pans out, a sinister looking Yakuushi Kabuto sits perched in the trees amused as he watches his plan unfold perfectly. "Hook . . . line . . . and sinker."

One of the members of the SICT runs through the streets of the leaf village as news of their new assignment has been quick to reach all of them. The member quickly bolts around the corner of the Ichiraku Ramen hut, bumping into Masato Toragai's shoulder almost knocking him over. The SICT member does not stop running and continues toward his teams gathering.

"Hey what the hell? Watch it asshole!" Toragai angrily shouts at the fleeing shinobi who does not turn to offer an apology or even a response. Toragai soon notices Maea running around the corner as well and she stops a few feet in front of him almost running into him as well. "Whoa their missy what's the rush?"

"Toragai?" Maea enquires. "I thought that was you shouting obscenities around the corner."

"Well can you blame me?" Toragai angrily replies. "That was the third member of this SICT group to almost knock me over in the last ten minutes. What the hell are they up to?"

"Tsunade-sama is sending them on a mission to the waterfall country." Maea responds.

"The waterfall country? That seems to be a pretty big waste of resources to send a tactical team like that out to probably do some menial job like mowing the villages lawn don't you think?" Toragai states trying to arouse a laugh or smile from the serious looking shinobi.

"No. Apparently the village is under attack from Orochimaru."

"Orocha-whoie?" Toragai asks with a confused look on his face.

"Orochimaru, you twit!" Maea says striking Toragai in the side of the head with an open hand slap. "He was one of the legendary Sannin. I don't know much more then that. Except for the fact that he is bad news."

Toragai rubs the side of his head as he shrugs his shoulders with a careless demeanor. "Well have fun with that. I only look out for number one. And right now, number one has to take a number two. So if you will excuse me, I must find the little boys room!" Toragai begins walking away from Maea who can only stand with a disgusted look on her face.

"God you are such a pig Toragai!" Maea shouts as Toragai walks away, raising his hand in a thumbs up position as he chuckles and laughs to himself.

Back in the sound village, Orochimaru and the Raikage continue going over their plans for the upcoming invasion of Konoha.

"When we arrive on the outskirts of the fire country, we should receive an update from our informant on the inside. If he pulls through on his end, we will not have to worry about any of the wandering ANBU patrols throughout the area, giving us a clear-cut path to the village." Orochimaru then points to the section of the map on the table marked with the words outer wall on it. "When we arrive just outside the outer wall, we will receive a signal from the inside of the village to let us know that the time is right for us to strike."

"Signal?" The Raikage asks. "What kind of signal?"

"My informant has a surprise in store for those in the village. It should allow us to maintain the element of surprise."

Orochimaru's commentary continues as the scene changes back to the leaf village, where a lone shinobi walks through the streets of the village unnoticed and undetected. Only his feet and hands are visible from the angle shown. The shinobi walks by one of the many buildings along Konoha's market strip, and with a sly and quick slight of hand the shinobi places an exploding tag on the side of the building with an upward stroke of his hand. And with a downward stroke of the hand, the tag becomes camouflaged on the side of the building, almost invisible to the naked eye.

"_**With one some new toys I created for him, he should be able to turn the whole village upside down without them even knowing . . . until it's too late."**_

"_**What kind of toys?"**_

"_**Exploding tags with a camouflage jutsu laced into the fabric of the scroll. Making the bomb invisible to anyone that is not touching it directly. With a single hand seal, the tags can be detonated all at once or in sequence. The tags will be placed in specific areas around the village . . ."**_

The shinobi places another tag on another building as he calmly walks by the building, making his way through the crowd streets of the market area. The tag disappears just as quickly and fluently as it was placed on the side of the building. When the angle changes to what is behind the shinobi, the vague outline of more then twenty explosive tags can be seen along the building sides. Ten in the marketplace alone. More tags placed on the side of the Hokage building, the Nara household, the ANBU headquarters and the Konoha hospital are then shown to have been camouflaged as well.

" _**. . . and detonate in sequence, sending all of the response teams into a frenzy as they try to stay on top of the chaos."**_

"_**Excellent . . . I am starting to feel better about this invasion already."**_

In the leaf village, The SICT, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Sakura and Naruto have all gathered on main entrance to the leaf village. The SICT has been outfitted with all the gear and supplies that they will need for the upcoming trip, and Jiraiya has gathered his supplies as well, showing his intention to lead the mission with Gai's assistance.

"All right." Gai turns to his team, briefing them all one last time before they depart. "Our destination is the Hidden Waterfall Village. It would take normal shinobi almost twelve hours to reach the village. But I intend to prove the value of our training in speed, and reach the village within half that time. I will be in charge of our team with Kakashi being out of the village, and I will personally be under Jiraiya-sama's command. So if he is to give an order, you will obey is as if it was coming from me."

Jiraiya turns to Naruto who has also begun strapping on all of his gear quickly, as he desperately wishes to join the mission team, and bring back the man who escaped his custody a year before.

"I'm sorry Naruto, but I can't allow you to join this mission."

"B-but Ero-sensei, I need to fulfill my promise to Sakura-chan! I won't let Sasuke get away again!"

"Naruto, the Akatsuki is still looking for you. If you and I are distracted by this mission and are unable to notice them moving . . . then all of our preparations will have been in vein. You have grown much stronger in only a year of training under me, but you are still no match for a member of Akatsuki. They would easily take you into custody with little to no difficulty."

"Way to boost my confidence Ero-sensei." Naruto crosses his arms in front of his chest in a stereotypical pouting gesture.

"You will stay here, where Tsunade can look over you. I will return shortly, and if Sasuke is in the Waterfall village . . . we will bring him home."

"Thank you Ero-sensei." Naruto says as he looks to Sakura with a frown upon his face, the broken promise of a lifetime from a year before still weighing heavily on his shoulders. Naruto wants to tell Sakura that Sasuke will come home shortly . . . and everything will be as it was. But in the last year, Naruto has grown more wise . . . and is no longer so naive. He knows that if Sasuke is in the village, and he resists the members of SICT . . . Sasuke will not make it home to Konoha . . . alive.

"All right!" Gai shouts loudly as he raises his fist to the sky, showing the intensity and optimism that has become his trademark. "LET'S DO IT!"

With a thrusting forward of his fist, the sharingan intelligence counter tactics team in its entirety take off like a bullet in the direction of the Waterfall village. Jiraiya slams his hand to the ground causing a quick eruption of smoke to engulf the area.

"**_Kuchiyose no jutsu!" (Summoning Technique) _**The smoke clears revealing a slender red frog the size of a house with long legs and a flap of skin connecting its front and back legs allowing the frog to almost glide between leaps, making for a speedy transport for the legendary Sannin. Jiraiya leaps onto the back of the frog and with a mighty leap, the amphibian takes off quickly into the direction of the village.

"Well . . ." Sakura says as her and Naruto can only stand and watch the shinobi speed away over the horizon in only a matter of seconds. ". . . now what?"

Back in the sound village, the Raikage and Orochimaru emerge from the depths of the snake charmer's stronghold to the sight of more then three hundred shinobi from both the cloud and the sound dressed in sound village garments. All with black shinobi masks to conceal their identities.

"Well this is truly an awesome sight." The Raikage says as he and Orochimaru move to the front of the formed lines, with all shinobi formed into ranks.

"Excellent Raikage-dono. You can't tell the sound apart from the cloud." Orochimaru then nods to the cloaked figure standing at the front of the ranks with his arms crossed in front of his chest. The cloaked figure then begins moving forward, leading the entire army in a militaristic march behind him.

_(Authors note:_ _Ok I'm sorry, I know that it is cheesy and cliche but the only song I found that would perfectly describe this scene . . . would be "The Imperial March" by John Williams from the Star Wars Soundtracks.)_

The massive coalition of sound and cloud begin progressing forward lead by Orochimaru and the Raikage himself, with Orochimaru's cloaked subordinate following just behind with the entire army following behind him. As the army moves through the hills and valleys of the rice field country, all of the locals can only hide and look on in awe at the spectacle before them. The army moves through the entire country in less then an hour, passing through the Valley of the End en mass as they enter the outskirts of the fire country. Marching through the forests, traveling through the trees, over rivers on a non stop crusade toward the unsuspecting village of Konoha.

Meanwhile on the outskirts on the leaf village, three ANBU team members have just met together at the base of a large tree, all three members out of breath. The first ANBU wearing a mask with the appearance of a cat turns to a falcon masked ANBU member and requests a report.

"What have you learned?" The first ANBU asks.

"I am not sure what to make of it sir." The jittery ANBU replies. "There has been a hell of a lot of activity through the thunder country's borders and throughout the demilitarized zone in between our country and theirs. Dozens of shinobi all moving in small groups toward the same location. They are all staggered as if they are trying to avoid being spotted as a large moving force. If you ask me sir . . . they are up to something. And whatever it is it can't be good. I think they were heading toward the sound village."

"You think so?" The third ANBU wearing the mask of a dog asks.

"I would be willing to bet my money on it." The ANBU replies.

"All right then." The ANBU leader says as he rises from his crouched position. "We have to tell Hokage-sama. We will have to cut the rest of our patrol short I am afraid. Even if this is a false alarm, Hokage-sama should still be notified."

As the ANBU team readies to depart, their attention is drawn to the sound of a cracking twig coming from the trees.

"What the hell is that?"

"I don't know."

"ARM YOURSELVES!" The ANBU leader shouts, as he readies kunai in both hands causing his subordinates to do the same.

The area around the ANBU is calm and silent with no disturbances noticeable around them. The three shinobi stand in a triple edged circular formation. Their backs to each other and all stand roughly five feet apart. Only the eyes of the ANBU's are visible as they search from left to right and up and down, searching for any sign of an enemies presence.

The ANBU's attention is so focused on the surrounding area that they do not notice the exploding tag drifting down on them from above like leaf falling to the ground. As the tag lands softly on the ground, the ANBU finally notice as the sound of the tags fuse lighting is vaguely heard by all three.

_(Music: Queue "A Crisis After Another" from the Naruto OST III)_

"SHIT!" The first ANBU shouts just a second before the tag detonates sending all three ANBU soaring through the air. Two of them land hard on the ground below while the other is sent hurdling head first into the trunk of a large tree, fracturing his C2 and C7 vertebra and pinching his spinal column paralyzing the shinobi from the neck down.

"CAPTAIN!" One of the shinobi shouts as he kicks up to his feet just before a shadowy figure appears behind him and thrusts a kunai into the back of his neck, severing his spinal columns and impaling his esophagus killing him instantly. The shadowy figure lets go of the kunai and disappears into the trees.

The third ANBU gets to his feet in time to see his teammate drop to his knees with a kunai sticking out of the front side of his throat soaked in blood. The ANBU searches around the area for any signs of their attacker and can find nothing around him. His search is soon cut short by a kurot wire noose that appears from above that quickly fastens around his neck. The ANBU struggles to remove the noose but is soon lifted off the ground and pulled into the trees by the shadowy figure. The ANBU thrashes about fighting with everything he has to maintain his fleeting grip on life, but the efforts are soon in vein as of the shinobi's oxygen is pulled from his lungs . . . and the shinobi's body goes limp. His body soon falls from the trees landing hard on the ground in front of the paralyzed ANBU leader still laying on the ground struggling for breath.

_(Music Ends)_

The shadowy figure soon emerges from the trees, landing silently as if he were light as a feather on the earth below. The figure is soon revealed as a mysterious shinobi dressed in an outfit similar to an ANBU's only white all over. He wears a white hood and mask over his face taking away any possibility of him being identified easily. He walks slowly over to the body of the slain shinobi and removes the kunai from the man's throat. He walks methodically toward the paralyzed ANBU leader still laying prone on the ground, struggling for air and trying to regain the use of his body.

"Shhhhhhhhh." The masked shinobi calmly whispers as he places a finger over his lips. The shinobi then slowly and callously stabs the kunai with one hand into the heart of the prone ANBU who lets out no cry as his life is soon extinguished.

The masked figure then ties kurot wire to the ankles of the three slain shinobi and drags them into a more secluded location amongst the trees. The shinobi removes the clothing of the three ANBU guards and hides them amongst the tall tree branches before spraying the bodies with a mysterious liquid.

The masked shinobi then begins walking away from his victims as the scent of the liquid has drawn the intense attention from the local and hungry wildlife that all immediately begin to converge on the slain ANBU.

In the village of sin, Kakashi and Toshida continue their search for Kunashiro's journal. Their search has covered the entire colonies exterior and the two have now journeyed into the depths of the Village of Sins cave system. Searching through the dusty and rotting remains of all that had been left behind after the cloud's slaughter of the villagers, Toshida and Kakashi fail to find what it is that they have been searching for.

"Dammit!" Toshida says as he slams another book on the floor. "We have been searching for over an hour now and still we haven't found my father's journal. I can't even tell which room used to be ours."

"Calm down Toshida." The level-headed Kakashi responds. "We'll find it soon enough. It is tough on the memory to be away from somewhere for so long after a traumatic event. I am surprised you even remembered where to find the village."

"I have been back to the village since I left in the first place. But I never ventured into the cave system. I had trouble navigating through it when I lived here. Now everything seems so much smaller." Toshida then kicks a sheep skinned scroll lying on the ground sending it into the wall of the room the two have been standing in.

The scroll then falls to the ground and unravels slightly on the floor drawing Toshida's attention. As he walks toward the scroll, his fathers handwriting soon becomes visible and the shinobi bends over to pick up the scroll from the floor. Upon examining the scroll further, Toshida then realizes that it is in fact the document they have been searching for.

"Well that was rather anticlimactic." Toshida says, as he scratches the top of his head.

"What do you mean?" Kakashi asks.

"Well I don't know . . . In a situation like this you would just expect the illusive document to be hidden in some secret compartment or something. Or locked in a safe, or taped to the bottom of a table you know? But instead . . . it was on the floor. I must have walked by this exact scroll like four times."

"Yea I suppose that is a little convenient."

The two shinobi then exit the cave system and take a quick look around the area before they set off for home. Toshida tosses the scroll into the air and then catches in his hand in a playful manner.

"Well you know what they say . . . It's always in the last place you look right?"

"Of coarse it is." Kakashi adds. "You aren't going to find it and then keep looking for it are you?"

"Shut up!" Toshida snaps.

The playful banter between the two is sooner interrupted as a kunai lands just a few feet away from them with an exploding tag attached to it.

"LOOK OUT!" Kakashi shouts as he dives toward Toshida pushing the two of them out of the way of the eminent explosion.

The tag explodes sending a barrage of debris and rock into the air as well as a cloud of dust and sand. As the two shinobi rise to their feet and quickly try to locate the source of the obvious attack. The two can hear a quiet yet sinister laugh coming from the cloud of dust and sand in front of them. The sound soon gets Toshida's attention as the sound is all too familiar to him.

"I know that laugh . . ." Toshida says, as his hand slowly reaches for the handle of his sheathed blade.

A voice soon comes from the cloud just as a set of glowing eyes becomes visible through the smoke. "Well I am flattered that after all this time you can still remember my voice Toshida." The dust and dirt soon dissipates revealing a fully charged Seshen Raiken ready for battle with his large broadsword drawn and poised for attack.

"Well hello Seshen." Toshida says as an almost cocky smile comes across his face. "I was wondering if you were going to show up."


	21. Heart of Scales, Blood of Lightning

_**Chapter 21: Heart of Scales, Blood of Lightning**_

_(Music: "Bunta" from the Naruto OST III)_

"So this is Seshen Raiken?" Hatake Kakashi asks, as he visually surveys' the broad sword wielding shinobi standing before him. "He doesn't look like he is that strong. If we both charge him, I am sure that he will not be a problem for either of us. Let alone the two of us."

Kakashi's traveling partner and latest assignment, Akira Toshida, does not answer. The weary nin shows an unbreakable focus as he stares coldly into the eyes of his childhood nemesis. Toshida remains crouched with his left hand firmly grasping the handle of his sword strapped across his back, waiting for Seshen to make the first move and remaining ever vigilant as too not fall into Seshen's plan.

"_What is he so up tight about?" _Kakashi asks himself, still confused over the visage of the quiet Toshida. _"It doesn't matter. This guy will cause us nothing but trouble, and I personally would like to get back home and leave this place behind us."_

Seshen breaks the silence between him and his old rival and his confidence is as apparent as ever. "Well I am surprised Toshida. We haven't seen each other in years and now you act cold? You, who was always ready to make some smart ass remark to get under my skin, is now sitting there with nothing to say? I have to say . . . I'm a little disappointed."

Seshen walks toward the two shinobi dragging the tip of his broadsword along the dirt of the sin village before raising it and pointing it at Toshida who remains poised and ready for Seshen's first move.

"You and I . . . have unfinished business my old friend." Seshen announces with a smile across his face as his Raigan eyes glow with the powerful bloodline that is his mysterious inheritance.

Toshida slowly and calculatingly rises to his feet, his hand still firmly grasping the handle of his sword, the sound of steel slowly brushing against coarse stone echoes through the area as Toshida slowly removes his sword from its sheath and the steel of the blade rubs against the sharpening stone embroidered into the end of the sheath, making sure each time the sword is removed from its confinement, that it is as sharp as possible. Toshida completely removes the sword as he reaches his vertical apex, and he lowers the sword to his side before planting it in the ground.

"All right then Toshida." Kakashi says, as he too rises to his feet with a kunai drawn. "We will take him together then?"

Toshida remains silent as he slowly removes his jacket and backpack and roughly slams the jacket against Kakashi's chest while dropping his pack to the ground, signifying to Kakashi without saying a word, that the fight is between Seshen and himself. Kakashi takes the sign and backs away from the battle field as Toshida removes his hat and places it on top of his pack.

Toshida removes his sword from its placement in the dirt and removes a small canteen of water from a side holster at the same time. Toshida pops the top of the canteen and pours water along the base of the blade starting at the hilt and pouring the water down the blade removing all traces of dirt or contamination from steel, making sure the blade is as pure and true as can be.

"Well Toshida, I should feel honored." Seshen replies. "You intend to kill me . . . but you also intend to make it a clean death am I right? So that when I die, I may pass into the afterlife freely with a pure soul?"

Toshida remains focused, with his attention unwavering and ready to strike.

"Ok Toshida. This silent treatment is getting a little old." Seshen angrily says, as he raises his sword over his head, standing ready in a classic kendo-style pose. "Say something will you!"

_(Music Ends)_

Toshida finally speaks as he gives his sword a quick spin, throwing all remaining water off the blade. "No talk Seshen . . . JUST FIGHT!" Toshida throws his arm back and charges Seshen with great speed and then swiping his sword laterally toward Seshen's throat as Seshen strikes his sword forward causing a loud clang of steel as the swords connect for the first time in the battle.

The two exchange a series of lightning fast strikes at one another, each heavier and faster then the last, striking left, right laterally and vertical, the two manage to connect swords more then a dozen times in a matter of seconds. Seshen swipes his sword downward at Toshida in a kendo style strike only to have it parried by Toshida, who quickly twists his sword 180 degrees to block a second identical strike. Toshida then spins his sword around his back before striking toward Seshen's mid section only to have it blocked on either side.

Seshen tries a series of lateral swipes toward Toshida only to have then blocked once again. However, he manages to push his attack further causing Toshida to begin quickly moving backward as Seshen continues to press his assault. It is then that Toshida begins to realize that he is at a disadvantage.

"_He has grown much stronger then when we last fought." _Toshida says to himself as he stays focused on Seshen's blade continuously assaulting him. _"His blade is heavier and he has more strength behind his attacks. I will be lucky if he doesn't knock the sword out of my hand._"

Seshen strikes three times in a row against Toshida's left flank in an effort to over power the faster Toshida. Seshen has his sword parried away by Toshida's and Seshen follows through with his momentum and spins around and lands a spinning back kick to Toshida's stomach, sending the shinobi reeling. Seshen follows up the attack and manages to knock Toshida's sword from his hand with a double handed club-like blow.

Seshen then tries a straightforward stab at his unarmed opponent in an effort to disembowel his old nemesis early in the match. Toshida leaps into the air performing the splits in mid air to avoid the attack while placing the palm of his left hand along the dull side of Seshen's blade. Toshida places all his weight on the sword causing Seshen to lean forward in favor of letting go of his weapon, which proves to be a mistake as Toshida quickly uses the sword as a pommel horse and brings both feet around quickly and at full force, strikes Seshen in the face with both feet, sending Seshen backward. Seshen slows himself down as he lands on his feet in a kneeling position with his free hand dug deep into the ground to slow his momentum.

As Seshen comes to a complete stop, he looks up only to see Toshida, with his sword in hand charging at the kneeling nin. Seshen barely manages to block a heavy downward strike from Toshida, and the two begin a test of strength, pushing harder and harder against each other's sword. Seshen quickly places his right hand against the side of his blade as he tries to maintain the advantage. He slowly begins to push forward as he rises to his feet before sending Toshida reeling again as he pushes his blade away. Toshida dodges Seshen next three swipes and a stab, but trips over a rock just behind him, leaving himself open for a downward slash from Seshen. Toshida. Before Toshida can dodge, the sword strikes him full force on the top of the skull, splitting his head almost in half. Seshen's celebration is short lived as Toshida disappears in a puff of smoke, leaving only a log in his place with a Seshen's sword stuck in the top of it.

"**_Kawarimi?" _**Seshen says to himself, before turning to his left to notice Toshida leaping from high in the rock face of the colony. With only three steps in the form of distant leaps, Toshida covers more then fifty meters before spinning his sword around with his wrist in mid air before slamming it down toward Seshen, only to have his attack blocked by the battle hardened nin.

"_This isn't helping my cause." _Toshida tries to gain the power advantage against Seshen, only to have his adversary repel with superior force. _"It is clear that I am the better swordsman. But this blade of his has much more power behind it. And that bloodline of his only increases his strength. I can only hope to outlast him. His bloodline uses up a lot of his energy reserves as he burns up calories at an unbelievable rate. If I can outlast him, he should be easier to neutralize. But a sword battle right now isn't going to be easy. It's nothing but a stalemate. And that monstrous chakra he has will power through me eventually." _Toshida ends the test of strength between the two and flips backward several times before landing in a crouched position and returning his sword to its sheath. _"The only problem is that massive chakra supply of his. Looks like we need to have ourselves a little jutsu competition."_

"What's the matter Toshida?" Seshen asks, as he readies his sword for another attack. "You're not giving up already are you?"

Without answering Toshida closes his eyes and starts a jutsu. _Dragon, horse, ram dog, tiger._

"**_Raiton: Denkou Tama (Lightning Element: Lightning Bullet)" _**Toshida raises his final seal up to just under his mouth, as sparks of electricity crackle as the leak out from between his teeth. With one large exhalation, Toshida unleashes a large ball of lightning as the unsuspecting Seshen is force to drop his sword off to the side to dodge the attack in time, leaping high into the air as the attack lands where Seshen once stood, leaving only a crater behind.

While in mid air, Seshen slams his hands together in the seal of the monkey before swiping his hands outward in a fanning motion, releasing a small wave of a dozen smaller lightning bullets at Toshida.

"**_RAISENDAN!" (Lightning bullets) _**Seshen unleashes a barrage of shuriken sized lightning bullets at Toshida. Toshida leaps high into the air twisting and turning as he strives to avoid being struck by one of the deadly projectiles. He lands on the ground unscathed to see a charging Seshen only two meters away.

Seshen swings a right hook at Toshida, striking him in the left cheek sending him reeling. Seshen follows up with a series of uppercut strikes to Toshida's gut raising him slowly into the air before Seshen leaps in the air and strikes Toshida with a thunderous spin kick sending him flying through the air. Seshen leaps into the air and lands upon the high rock face above the entrance to the colony. He slams his hands together in the seal of the snake before starting a quick series of hand seals.

"All right Toshida, it's nice to see that you are still as nimble as ever, but its time for something new and improved." Seshen then begins a quick series of hand seals, _Rooster, snake, tiger, dog, monkey, horse_, _boar, dragon, ox, hare, Rat._

"_**Hijutsu: Mugen Touitsu Tokkan!" **(Secret Skill: Infinite lightning unification) _An enormous amount of chakra begins to culminate in Seshen's body as he draws chakra from the deepest depths of his body. Channeling his attack through his circulatory system, he begins to use the chakra to start a series of jutsu determined to wipe Toshida from the face of the earth. Seshen's body begins to resonate with chakra causing an effect that is apparently limited to his unique bloodline. His body begins to glow blue with the tremendous power that is his inheritance and the visual effect is almost that of an x-ray as Seshen's skeletal structure is visible through the bright blue glow of his complex technique.

Meanwhile, on the ground Kakashi looks on in awe as the level of the battle seems almost too high to be coming from men as young as these two. _"These two are geniuses, such a high level of skill from both sides. Lightning element skills require more chakra than any other elemental skill due to the complex nature of harnessing electricity as opposed to fire, or water. But this Seshen Raiken . . . uses it with such mastery it is almost unfathomable._ _This bloodline sure is something to be weary of." _Kakashi then lifts his head protector, revealing the eye that has gained him such a reputation over the five countries. _"If I am not allowed to interfere in this fight, I can at least gain a few more techniques for my repertoire."_

"_**Shoki, HAJIME!" **(Initial Stage, Begin!) _Seshen points his left-hand forward with his fingers extended as small orbs of lightning form on the tips of his fingers, resonating through his hands revealing a cryptic looking skeletal appendage. He holds one hand back in an identical pose as the lightning orbs form on his other hand as well. **_"RAIKOU SHURIKEN!" _**Using his bloodline to precisely control the electrical impulses to the muscles in his arms increasing his speed and reflexes more then ten fold, Seshen unleashes a nonstop barrage of lightning shuriken from his hands. Wave after wave, the shuriken speed there way toward Toshida standing prone on the ground below.

"Uh . . . oh." Toshida leaps into the air twisting and turning as he flips through the air in an effort to avoid being struck by one of the deadly projectiles. _"This is madness." _Toshida says to himself, _"The shuriken are coming down in waves of five as they are released from his hands . . . but they detonate in mid air or when they hit the ground in random intervals. It is impossible to figure out any pattern. He throws them so fast that I can only hope to move faster then he can throw them."_

One of the shuriken detonates just over Toshida's left shoulder sending off balance and into an oncoming barrage of four shuriken that impact and detonate upon impact with his chest leaving four bloody wounds in his chest. _"Dammit. There are too many of them." _Toshida regains his composure and continues his dodging as he begins running a zig zag pattern toward Seshen's location on top of the mountain face. He leaps several time's bouncing off rocks, and stone faces in an effort to dodge the lightning orbs. _"The closer I get, the more of them there are, but at least they have to come from a single point, and I may be able to dodge them easier considering they don't have time to spread out much." _Toshida increases his speed and dodging as he moves progressively faster, further up the mountain face. He makes it within ten meters of Seshen's perch before his progress is soon halted.

"I think that is close enough, old friend." Seshen says, as he begins the next seal sequence. _Rat, Dragon, horse. **"Sekando, HAJIME!" **(Second Stage, Begin!) _Seshen gathers a deep breath in his lungs before exhaling one thick lightning bolt from his mouth, that splits into six smaller bolts as it speeds toward the unsuspecting Toshida. **_"Ikazuchi shibari no jutsu!_**" (Thunder bind technique) The six smaller lightning bolts strike Toshida directly, ensnaring both his arms at the wrist, his waist, his throat and both legs at the ankle. Seshen smiles as Toshida screams out in pain as the electrical surge is enough to send crippling muscle cramps and contractions through all six affected areas. The impact from the binds sends Toshida flying backward only to land hard on the ground back first, before tumbling with all his weight backward to roll to his feet as he skids along the ground.

Toshida stands to his feet to find himself completely ensnared by Seshen's binding technique. The lightning bolts lead up to Seshen's hands, allowing Seshen to completely manipulate Toshida's movements. In this case, Seshen opts to simply keep Toshida ensnared and immobile.

"_And now . . . the final curtain." _Seshen creates a new series of hand seals while still maintaining a firm grip on the lightning threads that have Toshida rendered helpless and unable to attack. _Rat, Boar, Tiger, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Hare._ Seshen then leaps from his perch and lands almost a hundred meters in front of Toshida with his back to the mountain face. "I am sorry to say Toshida, but you have proven to be rather disappointing. I was hoping that you might have made this a little bit more difficult, but I suppose some things never change. You were weak when I beat you the first time,**_ (For details, Read "The Back stories of the Village of Sin, Toshida's Gaiden Chapter 9 and 10") _**and you are still weak now."

"_Chikushou! (Damn it!) . . . Chikushou . . . Chikushou chikushou CHIKUSHOU! I can't move!_" Toshida curses as the frustration at his current disposition begins to set in his mind. _"He is not getting tired . . . even after using such demanding techniques, he is still fighting strong. And I have seen those hand seals before . . . if I take that attack head on, I will not be able to recover in time to win this fight . . . hell . . . I will be lucky if I survive." _Toshida closes his eyes as he tries to think to a plan of action to avoid being struck with Seshen's finale. When he opens his eyes, the faint green glow of a suppressed ryuugan eye becomes visible. _"I suppose there is no avoiding it. Damn you Seshen . . ."_

"Say goodbye Toshida. This technique will be your funeral pyre." Seshen raises the seal of the ram up to his lips as he prepares the final sequence of the combination. _**"Shuuban, TODOME! **(FINAL Sequence, Finishing blow) _A massive amount of chakra and electrical energy begins to form behind Seshen. Beginning at his feet, the figure of an enormous dragon formed from lightning takes shape behind Seshen as he unleashes on of his most favorite techniques. _**"RAIRYUUDAN NO JUTSU!" **(lightning dragon blast technique) _The dragon then launches itself in a fury at the prone Toshida, traveling along the threads of electricity, ensuring that the technique will not stray from its target.

Seshen closes his eyes and brandishes a somber look across his face just before the technique makes its direct impact. _"Sayonara . . . Senpai."_

The dragon blast hits Toshida straight on causing a massive explosion to erupt across the battlefield, sending a blast wave of dirt and debris across the area within a radius of one hundred meters in all directions. Surges of electricity ripple through the impact area, and smoke and fire engulfs where Toshida once stood.

"TOSHIDA!" Kakashi screams as Toshida disappears in a blinding flash of light and a billow of smoke too dense to see through. _"How the hell am I going to explain this to Hokage-sama?" _Kakashi asks himself as he readies a kunai in his left hand, ready to pick up where Toshida left off.

Seshen turns his attention to the leaf jounin and readies a kunai of his own. "Hatake Kakashi. The legendary Copy Ninja of the leaf village. It would be an honor to send you to your grave as well." Seshen then bows solemnly and politely in front of the leaf special jounin as he shows his respect for the shinobi's widespread reputation. Seshen then takes a fighting stance as he readies to engage the leaf shinobi. "Come now Copy Ninja, I hope that you are as good as your reputation implies."

Kakashi does not respond and quickly bursts into a sprint as he moves in fast to engage the confident and talent Seshen Raiken. Seshen stands at the ready, his defense at it's highest as the Raigan eye of his gifted bloodline shines on intensely, peering deep into the eyes of the charging Kakashi.

As the two shinobi come only ten meters from colliding, their attention is drawn to the smoke-filled crater where Toshida once stood. Both shinobi suddenly begin to realize that Toshida's chakra has not disappeared . . . nor has it weakened at all.

_(Music: Queue "Avenger" from The Naruto OST III)_

"What the hell?" Seshen asks out loud as both his and Kakashi's attention is drawn to the smoldering ruins in front of them. Suddenly, Toshida's glowing green eyes become visible through the smoke as they pierce deep into the eyes of both Shinobi. The black iris of the ryuugan, looks straight onto Seshen and then turns it's attention to Kakashi as the yellow outline around the iris glows just as bright as the rest of the eye.

"I thought we understood one another Kakashi?" Toshida voice looms out from the dark cloud of smoke then begins to clear. "This is my fight."

Kakashi and Seshen look on in shock as the smoke clears revealing a completely unharmed Toshida. As he becomes completely visible, it becomes evident that something about the mysterious shinobi has changed. His skin has become completely covered in a thin layer of dense light green scales covering his entire body from head to toe. His nails and toenails have become slightly elongated and sharp resembling claws, and his eyes continue to glow green.

"**_Sandaime no Ryuujinpou_**: **_Ryuu Koura"_** _(Third Dragon Gods Art: Dragon Scale/carapace)_ Toshida's green scales then begin to fade back beneath his skin until his entire body has returned to normal and his eyes have also returned to their normal colour.

Seshen cannot help but look on in shock at Toshida's strange technique. "Wh-what the hell are you? You cannot tell me that those rumors were all true. I had heard that you were some kind of demon . . . but I just figured foolish people were making up stories to glorify you as some kind of villain. But you are a demon . . . a freak . . . a mon . . ."

"Monster?" Toshida interrupts. "Yes that is true Seshen . . . I am a monster. A freak and a demon. However you put it. It's true that I am cursed. I was not blessed with some bloodline or tutelage under the strongest shinobi in the country. But my gift at birth . . . was this power within me. And although it may eventually lead to my destruction . . . it is more then enough to take care of you . . . senpai."

"_The dragon's scale, the dragon's eye and the dragon's tail. How many more of these monstrous techniques does he have?" _A confused and still awestruck Kakashi asks himself.

"That was the third of five techniques Seshen." Toshida says.

A bead of sweat runs down Kakashi's face as his question as irony has struck yet again. _"Well I guess that answers that question."_

"Byusing the power of this beast within and combining it with my own ingenuity, I have been able to create five techniques of my own design that allow me to exploit the upside of being a monstrosity. That was the third technique, the dragon's scale. It allows me to call on the dragon's armor like skin to cover my body with a virtually impenetrable coating for a short amount of time. Nothing has been able to penetrate its surface . . . and nothing ever will." Toshida takes a moment to think quietly to himself before continuing. _"The downside is that I can only use these techniques once in a fight. Any more than that, and I will not be able to control the dragon on my willpower alone. Even with my brother's sealing technique, it has proven to not be enough on occasion." _

"Five techniques you say Toshida? The third one was impressive in its own right . . . I look forward to seeing the rest of them. I can only hope that they are strong enough to add more of a challenge to this fight." Seshen hides his concerns in a shroud of over confidence border lining on sheer cockiness. _"That was one of my strongest techniques, and he stood up to it head on without flinching at all . . . This sucks! There must be a weakness in that armor technique. I just need to try and soften him up enough for him to show that weakness . . . and at that moment, I will exploit his weakness." _Seshen's stomach lets out a loud grumble as he begins to realize that his time of operating at such a high chakra level is soon to be at an end. _"Chikushou! I don't need this now. I can have all the chakra in the world . . . but I can only maintain that level as long as I have the calories to store it in . . . I am so hungry that I doubt I will be able to pull all of this off for more then another fifteen minutes. I have to try and finish him off quickly . . . no more playing around . . . But how the hell am I going to get past that guard?_ _This is not looking good right now._"

Seshen's thought process is soon interrupted as he feels an immense chakra hit him like a ton of bricks, as Toshida has begun to flex the dragon's power. Toshida's eyes begin to glow green with the Ryuugan eye yet again as he readies to continue the fight.

"Sorry old friend, but the beast is too much of a problem for me to show you ALL of what I can do. However, because you have fought so valiantly up to this point . . . I will end your life with one of my techniques."

Toshida then reaches behind his back and releases his sword from its sheath and lowers it to his side as he stands with his legs spread a meter apart with his knees bent. His right arm hanging at his side, he then raises his sword straight high above his head, sending out a massive wave of chakra that almost knocks both Kakashi and Seshen off of their feet. Toshida gathers energy for his attack as his stoic look remains unchanged as he stands forever focused on his target.

"And now Seshen . . . it is time for us to finish this fight." His sword glows green as the dragon's destructive chakra is channeled to the edge of his sharpened blade. The ground rumbles with tremors as a result of the massive power that Toshida is releasing. Kakashi quickly takes cover, leaving Seshen prone and Toshida's target out in the open with no where to hide. "So long Seshen! _**RYUU TSUME!" **(Dragon's Claw)_ Toshida screams as he swipes his sword downward with one hand, unleashing an intense thin wave of destructive chakra through his blade at Seshen in an arc shape that slashes through the ground effortlessly as it speeds toward its target like a crescendo of killer intent.

Seshen acts quickly as if the world around him was in slow motion, putting all his weight into his right leg to push off of. As he exerts the necessary force needed to successfully dodge the attack, the wave splits into three separate arcs of destructive chakra, blocking Seshen's path and threatening to strike him head on. "Oh shit!" Seshen yells. Thinking fast, he creates the seal of the tiger. _**"Raikou Doutai!" **(Lightning Movement) _Seshen's form is engulfed with lightning and he speeds away quickly, just barely dodging the path of destruction.

"Got him!" Toshida says quietly to himself as he disappears with a burst of speed.

As Seshen tries to gather his breath, he observes the aftermath of Toshida's attack. Three deep gashes carved deep into the mountain side as if was a stick of butter cut with a hot knife. The dust begins to clear and Seshen looks for his opponents whereabouts.

Suddenly, Toshida comes running from Seshen's left so fast that Seshen can only stare helplessly as Toshida's fist is buried deep in the side of his face sending the weary Cloud nin thundering into the mountain side, leaving a body-shaped crater in the rock face.

"_Damn . . . what a powerful technique. It's destructive power is on a whole new level to simple elemental techniques. Its weakness is the preparation time and the straight line in which it is fired from. It doesn't matter if it makes a direct hit though . . . one shot from that jutsu and it's over. This battle just got a lot harder." _Seshen leans his head forward from the crater in the rock face and readies himself to continue the battle. "HHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Seshen screams as strikes his arms backward into the indentation while releasing a large amount of chakra, destroying the body shaped indent in favour of a deep spherical crater in the side of the mountain.

"It is good to see that you still have some fight left in you Seshen." Toshida says, as he readies himself in his trademark fighting stance.

"It is safe to say, that this real fight is just getting started." Seshen takes his fighting stance and readies to confront his rival yet again. "Wouldn't you agree, Toshida?"

Seshen's eyes light up as he begins channeling the surrounding electrical activity through his bloodline and stores it in his own cells. He begins transforming the electricity into chakra to be used in the upcoming battle. His stomach groans and his body briefly shakes with a painful tremor as his bodies limit is drawing closer and closer.

"_Crap . . . I am so hungry right now it isn't even funny. I can't keep converting the energy around here to chakra. My body will give out before I can replenish those calories."_

Seshen puts his fears aside and focuses attention on Toshida who readies a kunai in his left hand. Seshen follows suit and the two begin their lightning fast charge at one another. The two throw their kunai straight at one another causing them to collide in mid air, echoing a loud clash of metal through the air before the two line up their fists and collide with one another in a ferocious clash of power as the battle ensues.

Meanwhile, in the leaf village Keinea remains at his post, studying the endless documents in the Hokage's office, after having been told that using the death seal is too risky to even practice. His mind is wandering however, due to a recent traumatic meeting with the mentally unstable Yamanaka Ino, who's mind was inadvertently attacked when she entered the mind of Akira Toshida, and discovered his secret within.

Keinea leans back in his chair chewing on a blade of grass as his efforts to regain his focus seem to be in vein. _"Man what the hell did she have to yell at me for? I didn't do anything."_

_**Flashback**_

Back in the Konoha Hospital, Ino has suffered another psychic attack and has pulled Keinea to the floor that she is found herself cowered on.

"_Don't . . . let go . . . set . . . them . . . free . . ." Ino whispers into Keinea's ear sending chills up and down his spine. "Don't . . . let go . . . set them free." Ino continues whispering the haunting words into Keinea's ear getting louder and louder with every recycling of the phrase, until she is screaming at the top of her lungs. _

_Naruto and Chouji then grab a hold of Ino and return her to her hospital room, kicking and still screaming incoherently where unfortunately she must stay until her mental state stabilizes. Tsunade and Sakura help Keinea to his feet where he is shaken up but otherwise uninjured. _

"_What the hell was that!" Keinea asks, still panicking from the emotionally intense event._

"_I-I don't know. She was doing so much better . . ." Tsunade says, finding herself at a loss for words. "Don't let go, set them free? What does that mean?"_

"_How the hell am I suppose to know? All I did was brush alongside her and she freaked out!" Keinea tries to calm down as the encounter with the delusional Ino has left him shaken and extremely agitated._

_**Flashback Ends**_

"_I mean I can empathize with the poor girl. She must have seen horrible things when she was in brothers' head. But she didn't have to freak out on me!" _Keinea spins around twice in his swiveling chair still trying to understand what Ino may have been talking about. If there was any kind of reasoning behind her chaotic rambles, or if they were simply cries for help from a wounded mind. _"Don't let go? Set them free? Hmpf, what the hell was she talking about. Who am I supposed to set free? Don't let go of what? Man this sucks . . . I have some annoying loud mouth ninja embarrass me at the tournament, then I find out this pretty girl I like has a crush on him, and now I get some crazy lady yelling at me for no bloody reason. This hasn't been my month!"_

"_I mean, it was her fault. If she just stayed out of my brother's mind, she wouldn't have had to see all those people at Tarawa Creek . . . all those . . . poor . . . souls . . ." _Keinea stops in his chair and sits up suddenly going over dozens of thoughts and realizations rushing into his head. He scrambles through the piles of documents on the Hokage's desk, looking for the document containing the information behind the death gods seal. "Aha! Here it is, the demonic soul seal. If I can't use this technique to seal the dragon, what if I . . ." Keinea then continues on in a series of inaudible mumbles as he begins drawing a diagram on a blank piece of paper in front of him. After several minutes of sketching he completes his drawing, bringing a large smile to his face. "This is it brother . . . if you can find father's documents, and combine them with this plan . . . you will be vindicated in no time! All right, I have to perfect this model before presenting it to brother. I need the process, the diagram, the hand seals, the whole nine yards!"

Keinea once again finds his focus and begins to go to work on what may actually be the key to his brother's salvation. A few hours later, Keinea's smile has faded to a concerned look as his eyes begin to water as he looks on in fear at the diagram he has created. "No . . . I can't . . . I can't show this to brother. I won't let him . . ." Keinea grabs both hands at the top of the diagram and causes a slight tear in the paper, showing his intent to completely destroy the document in front of him. After only tearing an inch of the paper, Keinea breaks down into tears unable to destroy what may save his brother. Keinea begins to hear voices of the past in the back of his mind echoing in his head. The voices of him and his brother made many years ago, and the promise made that Keinea vowed to keep.

"_But brother, I . . . I . . . can't promise you that . . . wh-why would you ask such a thing from me?" _The panicking voice of a young Keinea says.

"_Dammit Keinea, I need you to promise me this! I will never ask anything else of you as long as we both live and breathe together. But this one thing . . . I need from you." _The stern voice of the elder Toshida says.

Keinea can be heard sobbing in the background as he tries to speak in response to his brother, but the sheer sound of sadness in his voice keeps him from making a fully audible sound and he says under his breath. _"But I don't want to . . ."_

"_DAMMIT KEINEA! You have to promise me this. No matter what! You must make and keep this promise if I am really a brother to you." _Toshida scolds. _"Please brother . . . I beg you."_

Keinea drops the diagram on the table and turns his attention to the sun setting outside as a pair of solemn tears run down his face. _"I told you I would keep that promise brother. But now that I am supposed to make a decision on it . . . I'm scared. I'm afraid of what will happen if . . . I wish you were here brother. I can't make this decision . . . I'm not strong enough. I'll keep this resolution around until you get back, but I will leave it as it is. I won't even think of finishing it unless you ask it of me. I don't want to be the one that controls your fate." _Keinea turns his attention back to the diagram on the table just out of view. "Hurry home brother, we have a lot to talk about."


	22. Forever Rivals

_**Chapter 22: Forever Rivals**_

Toshida runs full stride with his arms swept backward through the dirt and dust in the village of sin, running toward his charging target, Seshen Raiken. As the two close in on one another, they both grind their teeth together before lining up each other's strike. The moment of the strike comes and goes leaving both competitors in the air connected in a rugged shamble of body parts. Toshida's foot planted in Seshen's chest who in return lands a heavy punch to Toshida's face. The two fall to the ground hard but waste no time in continuing the skirmish. They both kick up to a vertical base and begin trading lightning quick taijutsu strikes with one another, block after block, kick after kick and punch after punch, the difference in each others strength fails to rear its head.

Seshen knees Toshida hard in the stomach causing him to lean forward just enough for Seshen to strike Toshida maliciously with an elbow to the back of the head. Toshida plants his hands on the ground and retaliates with a flexible flipping kick, planting both of his heels hard on the top of Seshen's head knocking him off balance. Continuing his rotation, Toshida grapples Seshen's left leg, pulling the limb out from under him and dropping both competitors to the ground. Toshida tries a thrust kick to Seshen's face but is unable to connect, and is quickly forced to block Seshen's nearby left leg from striking him in the face only to have to let go to dodge the spinning kick from his right leg. Toshida changes his ground bound position and lunges forward, striking Seshen in the face with a hard left hand before flopping limp on the ground. The two fighters once again kick up to a vertical base and exchange another series of high speed kicks, punches and blocks.

Seshen breaks the sequence with an open handed strike to Toshida's chest, cracking the buckle to the strap connected to his sheath and causing his sheath and sword to drop to the ground before he is sent tumbling to the ground backward. Toshida rolls backward and gets to his feet only to be struck hard in the face by a firm crescent kick. Toshida flies backward and focuses his chakra to his feet as he lands. However, instead of grasping the ground tightly and stopping his skid, he creates a thin layer of chakra between his foot and the ground and completely omits the effects of friction and continues sliding backward at high speed.

"And where the hell to you think you're going?" Seshen yells, as he gives pursuit.

Seshen catches up to Toshida after a minute of chase and gets himself within five meters of the skidding nin. Toshida reverses the effect of his chakra and stops dead in his tracks and lunges forward at Seshen who finds himself unable to stop himself or dodge in time to avoid a thundering forearm shot from Toshida. A large gash opens up above Seshen's left eye as he quickly cartwheels back to his feet to see Toshida charging yet again. An open hand strikes fail to land on Seshen who retaliates with a forward kick to Toshida. Toshida catches Seshen's leg in between his and spins around 360 degree's to trip the shinobi up, leaving him open for a firm backhand strike from Toshida. Seshen spins around and catches Toshida in the side of the head with a spinning heel kick, releasing his leg and allowing him to regain his balance.

Toshida back flips several times to get distance between him and Seshen before throwing a kunai at his target. As Seshen readies to dodge, he notices a thin piece of kurot wire attached to the ring of the kunai. Remembering their last encounter, Seshen's readies for the next move. As he dodges the kunai, he quickly spins around as Toshida yanks hard on the wire, causing the kunai to abruptly reverse direction. Seshen spins around in time to grab the kunai before it hits him without stopping his rotation.

"You won't catch me with the same technique twice Toshida." Seshen says just half a second before the kunai he grabbed disappears in a puff of smoke. "Wh-what?"

Toshida only smiles as he says the words, _**"Kage Kunai no jutsu." **(Shadow Kunai technique)_

As Seshen completes his spin, he is unable to get out of the way of the real kunai that was hiding in the shadow of the fake one that he caught. The kunai stabs Seshen in the left side of his stomach, piercing his flesh and just barely missing his vital organs. Seshen grimaces in pain and removes the kunai without a second thought.

"Well I suppose that was a new technique don't you agree Seshen?" Toshida says with a confident smirk on his face.

"Shut up you bastard." Seshen's Raigan eyes begin to glow as he channels his bloodline yet again, absorbing the numbers electrical particles in the sin village. Yet again, he stores the electrical energy in his cells and begins to convert it into chakra. His body glows blue with the intense amount of chakra flowing through his system and once again, Seshen is ready to fight. He grimaces in pain again at the grumbling of his stomach and painful tremors become more random and more frequent, with their intensity increasing every time. _"This is not good. I can't keep channeling like this. I haven't had a fight this drawn out in a long time, and the pain has never been this bad." _Seshen shakes off the pain and readies himself in his fighting stance again, ready to fight. _"But the pain doesn't matter . . . I cannot let this monster get away with trying to assassinate my father. I will not let this murderer leave here unpunished!"_

Toshida looks on at Seshen's weakening condition and cannot help but feel concerned for his former classmate. _"His body is reaching its limit. Dammit Seshen, this fight has to stop or your body will simply give out." _Toshida rises from his fighting stance to Seshen's surprise and addresses the shinobi's current condition. "It's over Seshen."

"Wh-what!" Seshen exclaims in both anger and surprise. "You think that just because I have some minor flesh wound you can simply declare victory and expect me to concede?" Seshen readies himself for another attack and brushes off Toshida's words.

"I'm sorry Seshen, but you and I both know that your body is not equipped to handle the amount of energy that you are channeling. If you keep up with this strategy you are going to be killed. Give up now and leave this place." Toshida stoically says with a blank expression on his face.

"Believe me Toshida, my body may eventually give out, but I assure you that this body is more then capable of destroying a son of a bitch like you!" Seshen's teeth grind together as his breaths whistle through the small spaces along the sides of his mouth

Toshida lowers his head and closes his eyes briefly before shaking his head and returning his attention back to Seshen. "Seshen Raiken . . . why is it that you hate me so much? Even after all these years . . . you have grown to hate me, to the point that you are willing to sacrifice your own life in hopes of taking mine. Why Seshen? Why?"

"Why? You arrogant bastard, you ask me why!" Seshen seethes with anger as Toshida's words erupt and intense anger within him. "You . . . who tried twice now to murder my father have the gall to ask me why I hate you so much!" Seshen's chakra flares up to mammoth proportions as he gives in to all his anger and hate for his eternal rival. "I will kill you if it is the last thing I do before breathing my last breath . . . before I leave this existence, I will look down on your corpse and smile from ear to ear!"

Seshen charges like a man possessed, focusing his bloodline and increasing the muscle reactions in his legs, boosting his speed to the point that the cartilage in his legs almost separate from their bones. He strikes Toshida hard in the face with a heavy fist before Toshida can even react. The blow sends Toshida flying backward and into the rock face of the sin village, causing a small landslide to partially cover the surprised shinobi in rocks and rubble. Toshida shakes off the punch and regains his composure just in time to see Seshen charging like a man possessed directly at him. Seshen tackles Toshida back into the rock face, knocking him deeper into the mountain side causing a small cave in that buries the both of them beneath hundreds of pounds of rubble.

Seshen leaps out of the rumble and into the air, tying an exploding tag to a kunai and tossing it at the rubble pile, exploding on impact and sending hundreds of pounds of rubble air born. When the dust clears, Toshida has several deep gashes on his left arm as well as numerous burns across his body. The wounds are of no concern for Seshen who quickly follows up with a barrage of shuriken. Toshida leaps into the air after avoiding the shuriken and quickly starts a jutsu, intending to catch Seshen as he falls back down to earth. _Dog, Rat, Dragon, Tiger, Snake, Hare._

"_**Hyouton: Hieaisukoki no jutsu! **(Ice Element: Chilling ice breath technique) _Toshida exhales a thick cloud of icy blue mist and ice shards at Seshen impacting against him full force freezing him almost instantly.

"Dammit!" Seshen exclaims out loud as he strives to touch his hands together. He muscles through the intense chill of the jutsu as Toshida continues breathing out wave after wave of the icy mist. Seshen connects his middle and index fingers and interconnects them in an "X" shape in front of his chest. _**"Rai Bunshin no jutsu!" **(Lightning clone technique_) Suddenly, Seshen splits off into four other separate clones that fall back down to earth, leaving one of the clones to take the brunt of the icy slaughter. The clone falls to the ground frozen stiff, and shatters upon impact with the ground below.

As Toshida lands on the ground, he finds himself under the assault from three lightning clones. The first clone dives in attempting to strike high with a diving punch, only to be dodged by Toshida who quickly ducks low and into the oncoming sliding kick of the second clone. The clone explodes in a wave of electrical energy, also causing the explosion of the second clone. The clones explosions trap Toshida in the middle, covering him with an onslaught of small lightning bolts that devastate the helpless shinobi and the surrounding area.

"_You fell for a technique as basic to cloud shinobi as rai bunshin?_" Seshen says to himself as he and his final clone survey the smoke cloud in front of them. Seshen grows impatient with waiting for the dust to clear and he rushes into the cloud of smoke, using his Raigan eye to detect any heat source that may be what is left of Toshida. "What!" Seshen exclaims as the smoke clears revealing only a charred log where Toshida used to be. "Kawarimi?" Seshen asks out loud, just before the ground cracks underneath him as Toshida's left foot rises up from beneath the earth.

"You're getting sloppy Seshen!" Toshida yells as his kick falls just short of connecting under Seshen's chin. Seshen back flips several times before stopping to stare down his worthy opponent as he sends the final clone after Toshida. Toshida lands on the ground in front of the charred log as he turns his attention to the charging clone. Toshida kicks into the dirt by the log and connects with the replacements underside, sending it straight into the air. When the log reaches the height of Toshida's chest, Toshida swings his arm laterally and bats the log out of mid air and straight into the face of Seshen's charging lightning clone, causing it to explode upon impact.

Kakashi looks on as the fight continues at an incredible pace. _"Nice move Toshida. It seems like you and Naruto have more in common that either of you originally thought." _

"I . . . will not . . . BE DEFEATED!" Seshen screams, as he grinds his teeth together and once again clasps his hands together in the seal of the tiger. The ground begins to shake again and the rocks along the mountain side begin to slide down the rock face. Smaller chunks of rock and rubble are actually sent hurdling toward Seshen as if sucked in by some divine force. The rocks collide with Seshen's increasing aura and instantly incinerate under the tremendous pressure of the shinobi's chakra. Seshen's body glows with the blue aura of his ever growing chakra as he channels more of the ambient energy in the sin village into his body, converting it to chakra in his ongoing effort to best his opponent.

"_Dammit Seshen . . . you're not going to do anyone any good by killing yourself here. If this was any other place, you would be fine. But the constant electrical storms in this village are too much for you to channel. Please just give up. I don't want you to die." _Toshida can only think the words he wishes to speak as Seshen's eyes glow brighter then ever. Not due to his bloodline . . . but due to his unwavering determination to see Toshida killed.

Seshen grimaces as the pain he is experiencing is enough to make any normal human pass out due to pain. As his body's reserves continue to deplete, Seshen is unwavering. "More . . . MORE!" Seshen says to himself as several lightning bolts strike down on him from the heavens only increasing the heavy burden that lays upon his shoulders.

Then to Toshida's surprise, Seshen's aura begins to flicker . . .

"What in the hell is this?" Toshida asks himself. "Seshen . . . your body is giving out . . . STOP IT!"

Toshida's words go unheard as Seshen continues forcing his body past the breaking point. The aura then strangely begins to flicker its colour from blue to green and back again. So fast that the two colour's soon become indecipherable from one another. Seshen slams his hands together in the middle and index cross in front of his chest as his aura continues to build and flicker.

"_**Tajyuu Rai Bunshin no jutsu!" **(High Volume Lightning clone technique)_ with a puff of smoke and a flicker of electricity, Seshen is soon surrounded by more then thirty lightning clones. "Now Toshida . . ." Seshen says, as his aura begins to simmer down. "Lets see how resourceful you are now!" With a charging gesture from his left arm, all thirty clones begin to swarm around Toshida, surrounding him and closing off any exit.

"_So many lightning clones." _Toshida says to himself. _"To muster up the chakra for even three of them is a challenge. Using chakra to collectively bind electrons into a clone shape is something that requires a lot of practice. I have heard of the Raikage being able to produce as many as twenty. But I have never even fathomed someone my age to be able to produce_ _this many!" _Toshida looks around as he can see no possible escape from the army of clones. _"Ok . . . no escape surrounded by an enemy I can't touch. Shuriken only work as conductors . . . even if I had my sword it is still made of metal. Even the scabbard has a metal trim." _Suddenly Toshida is hit with an epiphany. An amused smile comes across Toshida's face as he looks behind some of the clones to see his sword and sheath laying on the ground roughly twenty meters away. _"Well . . . this is definitely going to hurt_."

The clones begin to charge and Toshida quickly picks a spot just behind his left shoulder where there are only two clones blocking his path. He quickly turns around and charges head on toward the two charging clones, colliding shoulders with both of them. _"With the average voltage of these clones being about three thousand volts, I should be able to take the dispelling of two of them and still have enough motor control to make it to the sword without losing too much in my stride." _

Toshida crosses his arms in front of his face as the clones disperse in an explosion more then twice the size of the standard lightning clone dispelling. Toshida emerges from the smoke cloud singed over most of his body and still surging with the electrical after effects. _"Ok . . . that was REALLY stupid!" _Toshida falls to the ground, his knees and palms the only thing to stop him from landing a painful face plant. _"But why? These clones packed an intense punch. He created so many of them that the energy should have been dispersed amongst them and only been around three thousand volts each." _Toshida notices the rest of the clones charging toward him, and he tries to attempt an escape. However, he quickly notices the damage done to him by the exploding clones is far more severe then he originally thought as his entire body begins to tense up as if covered in hundreds of muscle cramps and spasms. _"Shit! Not good!" _

Toshida tries to crawl away, but soon realizes the futility of his plan and stands to his feet using almost nothing but sheer willpower as his muscles don't want to obey his commands.One clone finally reaches its goal and leaps on Toshida, grappling him with its arms and clasping his legs around Toshida's frame as it explodes in another wave of electric shocks.

"AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" Toshida screams loudly as the massive surge of bolts render his flesh and almost shocking his muscles of the bone.

As Toshida tries to regain his composure he finds the task to seem more than herculean in stature. _"Chikushou! Chikushou!" _Toshida finally gets to his feet in time to see three more clones charging head on toward him. Making the seal of the tiger, Toshida causes a quick puff of smoke around him that produces ten regular bunshin replications.

"_He's getting desperate now." _Kakashi observes from the sidelines. _"The lightning clones are solid. Packed with millions of stray electrons from the air. Toshida's clones are no more than an illusion. His clones won't stand any hope in dispelling the clones. He must be trying to buy some time."_

Toshida's clones all struggle to get to their feet as well, mirroring Toshida's unfortunate disposition. The lightning clones attack on multiple vectors, dispelling the clones left and right with the greatest of ease. The real Toshida uses the time to get a better angle between himself and his sheath still lying now less then ten meters away. With a flick of the wrist, a strand of kurot wire unravels from inside his gauntlet. He swings his arm sideways as he leaps into the air and the kurot wire flies out toward his nearby sheath, clasping it along the tip of the sword scabbard. With a firm yank of the wire, the sheath flies toward Toshida's open left hand, but the force of the yank and the impact of the swords fall to the ground have lessened the swords firm confinement in the sheath, and the sword flies out completely separate from the sheath that now is tightly grasped in Toshida's left hand. Toshida pays the sword no mind, as his real goal is now in his possession.

"Got it!" Toshida exclaims as the he grabs underneath the scabbard and removes the cloth tie that conceals the other weapon in his sheath. Toshida then pulls out his wooden flute and readies it like a sword in a defensive position. "All right boys . . . let us continue."

A wave of seven lightning clones charge Toshida in an all out assault, spreading out over a span of twelve meters in a horizontal line. Toshida readies his wooden flute as the clones get closer, and two of the clones charge ahead of the pack, aiming to strike high on Toshida's frame. Toshida twirls his flute around once in his right hand before bringing his flute parallel to his left hip and using a backhand strike to the head to dispel the first clone quickly followed by a forward strike to the stomach to dispel the second. The rest of the clones move in fast and Toshida lowers his head, giving all of the clones an intense look of determination as the dragon's eyes begin to glow.

Toshida moves almost too fast for either Kakashi or Seshen to follow as he dispels all five clones in an almost inhumanly fast combination. Toshida's first move was a quick three hundred and sixty degree spin to smack the first clone across the side of the head, quickly followed by an upward strike that stabs a second clone just under the chin, lifting the clone up off the ground before it dispels in mid air. Toshida notices the next clone moving in for a shoulder like spear to his mid section and he quickly dispels the clone with a downward club like blow to the back of the clones head. Toshida dispels the next clone with a forward stab to the next clones chest dispelling it instantly before swinging his flute over his shoulder and striking the final clone on the top of the head.

"Ten clones down . . ." Toshida looks over at Seshen's remaining lightning clones all spread out through the area and counts them up in his head. ". . . twenty to go."

Toshida swings his arm backward as he takes off like a bullet toward the real Seshen, using this time to recover as much of his strength as he can in the short time he has available. Toshida runs through the army of clones on his way to Seshen, striking, slashing, clubbing and stabbing his way through seven more clones on his way to his opponent. As the way is now clear to Seshen, Toshida increases his speed as he charges the recovering Seshen.

Suddenly, Seshen gestures to two clones that are closest to him. The move with great speed, leaning over to grasp fist sized stones from the ground as they run toward Toshida. The clones reach Seshen first and the drive their rock filled hands into each others faces, causing a large explosion in front of Toshida at point blank range as they dispel one another.

"_Ah crap! Good move!" _Toshida laughs as he tries to stop in vein as the clones explode in front of him sending a mass of dirt and rubble into the air.

"_Did that get him?" _Seshen asks himself as he uses his Raigan eye to peer into the dust cloud to see a small heat source on the ground. His curiosity is soon sparked as he can here the faint sound of a crackling fire and the smell of burning paper. As the dust clears, Seshen can see a set of four exploding tags laid strewn across the ground, giving the illusion that Toshida's body was laying on the ground. "Cleaver bastard!" Seshen hollers as he leaps into the air just narrowly dodging the large explosion that causes a large section of the cave face to collapse.

While in mid air, Seshen's attention is soon captured by Toshida's shadow looming over his shoulder. As he turns to face his attacker, Seshen is left prone to a thundering punch to the face from a smiling Toshida. Toshida's smile soon fades from his face as he notices Seshen smiling as well. Seshen turns his head further into Toshida's fist causing the skin on his cheek to crinkle up slightly just before his body begins to glow. Toshida soon realizes what has happened and he tries to guard himself as the real Seshen soon is revealed to have been another lightning clone that dispels and explodes right in front of Toshida sending another brutal surge of electricity through Toshida's already battle ravaged body. When the smoke from the explosion clears, Toshida's frame falls limp out of the sky before landing hard on the ground below.

"Chikushou!" Toshida rolls over on to his stomach and tries to rise to his feet, but soon finds that his strength is seriously weakened. He grabs his flute and uses it for leverage as he tries once again to reach a vertical base. Toshida finally gets to his feet only to have to go on the offensive again as six more clones charge in fast. Toshida's speed has become much slower and his reflexes more sluggish as his muscular system is in havoc. He uses his flute to dispel three of the clones with slashing strikes but the remaining three keep their distance, stalking Toshida like a pack of predators. As the three clones form a triangular shape formation surrounding Toshida, Toshida does what he can to formulate a strategy with his wounded body.

"_My body hurts everywhere . . . I can't keep this pace up. These clones are as fast as Seshen and they pack one hell of a punch. My body won't take much more of this . . . and I have almost passed my limit for chakra. I still have plenty left . . . but if I use too much more then I am almost certain that the dragon will take notice. And out here is the last place that I need that monster rearing its head." _As Toshida looks across the battlefield to his sword and then behind one of the clones to the downed shuriken training posts that he and his father used to train with. _"What should I do father? How the heck am I going to pull through this trash?" _Suddenly remembering his fathers teachings and plethora of jutsu, the right technique finally comes to mind. _"That's it! I have never successfully pulled that move off to perfection, but against clones I don't think it would be a problem."_

Before Toshida can finish his thought, the clones charge in all at once and Toshida is forced to use the technique that his father originally invented. Toshida leaps high into the air, back flipping in the process before bringing his hand's into the seal of the tiger while still holding his flute tightly in his grasp.

"_**Kirigesshoku no mai! **(Dance of the moonlight fog) _With a quick spin, Toshida's body disperses into a thick black cloud that circles the area around the lightning clones. The jutsu allows Toshida to move freely throughout the cloud that works as a genjutsu, a henge technique and combines the use of swordplay to make a deadly combination of techniques. The fog surrounding the clones churns and swirls like a perverse black witches brew making Toshida's movements throughout the cloud completely indecipherable from the random rolling of the black fog. Suddenly Toshida emerges from the fog unbeknownst to one of the clones that cannot see more than a foot in front of him. Toshida plunges his flute straight through what would have been Seshen's orbital bone had it not been a clone. The clone disperses instantly seconds before another clone is dispelled by a swiping blow too fast to clearly see. The last clone is easily dispersed as Toshida spins horizontally out of the black cloud and aggressively swings his thick wooden flute taking the clone's head clear off. The fog disperses and Toshida is left standing with his flute in hand.

The last four clones charge a tired and angry Toshida with kunai drawn in a panned out line formation. "I am getting really tired of this Seshen!" Toshida yells as he places his hands together in the seal of the monkey. He swipes his hands out releasing four shuriken made of wind directly at the clones. **_"Kaze no shuriken!" _**Three of the clones are dispersed by the shuriken while the fourth manages to evade. Toshida and the clone then charge head on toward one another growling and screaming at one another as they charge. Toshida channels some of his chakra into the flute and he underarm throws the flute head on toward the clone just before he leaps into the air. The chakra allows the flute to impale the final clone straight through the chest and Toshida lands the insulated souls of his sandals on the clones shoulder before he grabs the flute and coarsely rips the flute out from the clones chest before it disperses in a bright flash of light.

Toshida then searches the battlefield for any signs of the real Seshen until a massive chakra build up is felt coming from the very top of the rock face where Seshen is standing poised with his knees bent and the seal of the tiger made. Three lightning bolts extend from the black clouds of the sin village and connected directly into Seshen's body fueling his bodies thirst for energy and feeding his ever increasing rage.

"More! I NEED MORE DAMMIT!" Seshen curses atop the mountain as he once again forces his body to convert more of the massive energy reserves of the sin village into chakra for his bodies use. Seshen leaps from the mountain top and lands hard on the ground causing a small crater to be formed under his feet. He continues channeling the energy as much as he can, fighting off the intense pain and fatigue that reaps through his body every passing second. Seshen's body begins to give out and he is forced down to one knee as he can no longer stand and two of the lightning bolts dissipate. _"No . . . NO NOT NOW!"_

The site of his former senpai going through great pain and risking death in hopes of killing him is too much for Toshida to bare and he lashes out against the young cloud shinobi. "Dammit Seshen stop it! You know as well as I do that you are just going to end up killing yourself!" Seshen does not answer as he grimaces, grunts and screams in pain from his bodies agony. "Please Seshen I beg you . . . let us just stop this fight! No one needs to die here today! Please just . . ."

Seshen interrupts with a blood curdling scream, **"I HATE YOU!**" Seshen bellows at the top of his lungs, scrapping harshly on his vocal chords almost choking on his own rage as the pain in his body becomes only secondary to the hate that plagues his heart. Seshen rises to his feet again and tries once again to successfully channel more chakra. His aura begins to flicker violently until disappearing completely. _"No . . . chikushou . . . _**CHIKUSHOU!" **Seshen rears his head back and screams loudly once again just before his body gives out and he slowly falls backward.

Toshida looks on in horror and his emotions begin to get the best of him. GOD DAMMIT YOU BASTARD . . . I TOLD YOU THIS WOULD HAPPEN!" Toshida's words speak not anger . . . but pain and sorrow as the only friend he has ever had . . . has seemingly killed himself in order to end his life . . .

_(Music: Queue "Need To Be Strong" from the Naruto OST)_

Suddenly, without warning a large spherical wave of green chakra forms around Seshen levitating him off the ground slightly and raising him quickly back to his feet. The green chakra explodes outward leaving a large crater around Seshen and sending mounds of debris and dirt into the air.

"Wh-what the hell is going on!" Kakashi asks out loud as he guards his face from the flying dirt and rubble.

"I . . . I . . . I don't know!" Toshida responds as he too tries to guard himself from the immense destruction this mysterious aura is causing around them.

Back in the center of the crater, Seshen is as equally confused. _"Wh-what the hell is this? This chakra is . . . is green . . . but it doesn't feel like normal chakra . . . its . . . different." _Seshen walks out of the crater and faces Toshida as the dust clears. His Raigan eyes glow ferociously burning brighter than ever before as this new found chakra surges through his system. _"My body . . . doesn't feel right . . . I'm not hungry anymore . . . and my body doesn't hurt as much." _Suddenly, Seshen's hands form into the seal of the dragon. _"Wh-what the hell! I'm not even controlling my hands!" _Seshen's body then forces him to complete a long and rapid series of hand seals too fast for anyone to identify. _Rat, boar, tiger, snake, monkey, dog, hare, rat, tiger, dragon, snake, rat, dog, monkey, dog, bird, boar, tiger, dragon, hare, ox, bird, monkey, horse, tiger, hare, rat, horse, ox, tiger _and then into a sideways open faced clam position with his arms stretched out straight in front of his chest. "This is too weird!"

Dozens of voices then echo throughout Seshen's mind as many individuals say the same thing to him over and over again without stopping. "What . . . what the hell do you want?" Seshen asks the voices that do not respond. Lightning shaped energy begins to form in Seshen's palms surrounding his hands with a massive orb of energy. The voices finally get the best of Seshen and he repeats the phrase they have been echoing to him.

"_**OMEGA RAIKOU!" **(Omega Lightning) _The balled lighting explodes out in a massive blast of electricity that branches off into dozens of large lightning bolts that intertwine amongst one another as they blast toward Toshida at high speed, ripping apart the surrounding area as it bulldozes through anything and everything in its path.

"OH . . . SHIT!" Toshida screams as he runs away from the speeding wave only to have the blast quickly over run him. Toshida makes the seal of the horse and then connects his thumbs together as he leaps to the ground. The blast engulfs the area where Toshida once stood and blast off into the distance as Seshen stops the energy flowing from his body.

Seshen looks down to his hands in awe as he is dumbfounded by what has just happened. "What is going on here? This is starting to creep me out."

As Seshen survey's the damaged landscape he cannot locate Toshida anywhere. His attention is soon drawn to the shadow that the mountain top has been casting across the ground, now with a deep trench forged in it because of the immense power of Seshen's new found artillery. A heat signature is located in the shadow and Seshen can make out Toshida's silhouette rising from the shadow behind the cloud of dirt and dust in the air.

"Damn you Shadow Walker!" Seshen hollers.

Toshida's flute flies out from the dust cloud quickly being caught by Kakashi who places the flute down on the ground with the rest of Toshida's belongings.

As the dust clears, Toshida stands with his ponytail unraveled and his dark black hair blowing in the wind as he stares Seshen down with his trademark stoic glare. His pants are tattered and torn and he has numerous cuts across his sleeveless shirt and bare arms. His right gauntlet has been shattered and only the palm strap remains with a small piece of the thick and hard leather remaining on it. Toshida has a thick gash over his left eye that is bleeding profusely being fueled by the sweat that runs down his face. His right hand holds his sheathed sword at the top of the scabbard that is firmly attached to a reserve obi on the side of Toshida's belt. His thumb presses down firm on the rounded end of the cross guard and his left arm hangs firmly at his side with his fist clenched. "I don't know where that came from Seshen, and quite frankly I don't care. All I know for sure . . . is that this fight ends now. One way . . . or the other."

Seshen walks calming over to his sword still laying on the ground several meters away. He picks up the large claymore like blade and slings it over his left shoulder. "Agreed. Let us finish this now . . . senpai."

Toshida switches his thumbs position to under the rounded cross guard and uses his thumb to unlock the scabbards hold on his weapon. Without hesitation both fighters charge at one another, their blades still restrained. As they come within three meters of one another, Toshida grabs a hold of the sword handle with his right hand and in a quick Iaido style move draws his sword laterally toward Seshen's neck. Seshen swings his sword down off his shoulder and the two find themselves once again staring each other down in a stalemate as the sparks fly from the warriors blades.

Meanwhile just outside the fire country, the alliance of sound and cloud have gathered all of their forces together and an army of almost 300 stands in formation all dressed in sound village uniforms awaiting the signal to move in closer. The army stands in an open plateau atop a large hill with tree covering surrounding the area. From this point, they are only an hour's journey from the leaf village. Orochimaru and the Raikage stand at the front of the fighting force and Orochimaru's dark hooded subordinate stands behind him and to his right. The Raikage is the only standing cloud village symbol in the group, dressed in full jounin's gear and wearing his thunder shadow hat.

"What is it that we are waiting for Orochimaru?" The Raikage asks of his unlikely ally. "We have been standing here for twenty minutes already."

"Patience Raikage-dono. We are just waiting for word from my informant in the leaf village. He has been on a search and destroy mission all morning, taking out all ANBU patrols between us and the leaf village." Orochimaru then takes notice of one of his shinobi moving toward their position from the direction of the leaf village. "You can understand Raikage-dono, we need the element of surprise to succeed with as little hindrance as possible."

Orochimaru is handed a scroll from the sound shinobi. Orochimaru opens the scroll revealing a small sealing jutsu writing and inscribed on the paper. Orochimaru raises his fingers in a half ram shape, "Kai! (Release) Orochimaru shouts, dispelling the seal on the scroll. A faint looking illusion rises from the scroll in the shape of a miniature version of the white robed shinobi that has been killing the ANBU patrols.

_(Authors Note: For you manga readers, just picture a smaller and more condensed version of the jutsu that the Akatsuki have been using to keep in contact with one another of great distances.)_

The hologram then speaks a prerecorded message to his master. "All of the patrols have been taken care of Orochimaru-sama. The ANBU threat between the village and your position has been eliminated. The exploding tags have been set in the village and they will be ready for detonation on schedule. You may proceed on your end now." The white shinobi speaks in a calculated and static filled message, letting Orochimaru know that all of his plans are about to come to fruition.

"Excellent. Let's move out Raikage-dono."

"All right then." The Raikage soon finds himself distracted as he begins to worry about Seshen's whereabouts. _"Hurray back Seshen. I need you here today. I hope you're alright."_

Back in the sin village the swords of steel negating steel echoes throughout the wasteland. Seshen and Toshida continue dueling with one another, the sum of all their anger and frustration is spoken through their blades as both gladiators give it their all in defense of what the believe in. Strike after strike and parry after parry, each attack is negated by the opponents defense and neither individual can reach an advantage over the other. The two break off their attack and take defensive positions twenty meters apart, both men striving for air as exhaustion's effect is becoming more and more evident.

Toshida kneels to one knee, holding his scabbard's end in his left hand and the handle of his sword in the right. The sword blade touches the earth as even its weight has becoming an unwelcome burden in Toshida's hand. _"This is madness . . . even after this long of a fight . . . we are still so evenly matched. I know that his body has to be got to be ravaged by pain due to his insistence on using that bloodline of his. Please Seshen . . . forgive me. But I must use "that" jutsu if I am going to defeat you. When we meet in the next life . . . I hope it will be as friends."_

"_DAMMIT! My body is back to where it was a few minutes ago. Where did that mysterious power go?" _Seshen asks himself as he stand hunched over with his sword being used as a cane to remain standing. _"This fight has to end . . . or I will not be physically able to catch up with father. At this rate I will be lucky if I am even able to leave this village_ _under my own power."_

Toshida then stands to his feet and switches his sword to be held in his left hand freeing up his right. Toshida extends his right hand out to his side and opens his hand wide open parallel to the ground. "I'm sorry Seshen . . . but this fight has to ends now. I will show you . . . the last of the techniques I have created in conjunction with the dragon's power. Behold . . ." A thin layer of light green dew begins to form on Toshida's palm and the dew soon drips off and hits the ground. The dew works like an acid and the ground begins to dissolve around the area of the drops and a light green smoke rises from where the drops hit. The smoke soon spirals upward and into Toshida's hand, further mixing more with the green dew coming from his hand. The ground beneath Toshida begins to crack and a crater begins to form around the sin shinobi as the sturdiness of the rock just seems to break away beneath him. The smoke soon turns to a bright yellow and red flame is Toshida's hand that is soon capped by a green orb of chakra that forms around the flame. More and more energy and smoke rises from the ground and surges into the green Rasengan-like jutsu forming in his hand. Grey and black smoke then spews out from the sides of the jutsu and Toshida takes an offensive stance with his hand drawn backward and his sword forced forward with the tip pointing at Seshen. A bright green flame can be seen burning in the center of Toshida's hand as the black smoke billows out from the technique engulfing Toshida's entire forearm giving the jutsu the appearance of a burning green pyroclastic cloud from the summit of a volcano.

"Behold Seshen," Toshida says as his Ryuugan eyes begin to glow green yet again, staring deep into Seshen's soul as the tremendous power and heat generated from Toshida's technique is evident across his face as smoldered ashes blow off from the technique. _**"Kissu no Ryuu" **(The Kiss of The Dragon) _

"_The kiss of the dragon?" _Seshen asks himself. _"What the hell is this technique? I can feel the power of it . . . but there is very little chakra in use. How can this be?"_

"_What a strange jutsu." _Kakashi says as he continues watching the battle unfold. _"Almost no chakra use, yet there is such an incredible power behind this technique."_

"Since this will be the last thing you will ever see in this world Seshen . . . I will at least do you the honor of telling you how it works. The bond between me and the dragon, is far from symbiotic. The dragon is a parasite that feeds off my chakra and my body. The more chakra I use, the more aware the dragon becomes. When it wakes up . . . I lose control and I am at its mercy. Using too much chakra is enough for the dragon to wake up, but the dragon gets stronger with every person I kill. You know as well as I do what happened at Tarawa Creek . . . that was when I first became aware of this. The moment before death, the dragon's chakra extracts the souls of its victim and incorporates it into its being . . . growing stronger. The stronger the dragon gets, the easier it is for it to wake up . . . and the more it is awake . . . the more it kills. The souls that the dragon consumes allows it to take a stronger grasp on my body. The dragon uses its influence and strength to slowly convert my body . . . into its own."

"Into its own? What the hell are you talking about?" Seshen blurts out.

Toshida returns his sword to its sheath and uses his free hand to move some of his hair off to the side to reveal a patch of green scales running along his hairline and up behind his ear. "This is what I mean Seshen. The dragon is slowly converting my body . . . into the container that was destroyed many years ago. I am the container for its soul. But my body is not enough for it . . . it wants its old body back . . . and my body is the canvas in which it plans to create its newest masterpiece."

The announcement is an intense shock to Seshen as he had previously been unaware of his former classmates burden. "Wait a second . . .you said that . . . the dragon takes over? What do you mean?"

"It means that I no longer have control over what my body does . . . the dragon is in control of everything."

Toshida's words send chills up Seshen's spine as what he is being told contradicts what he had previously believe to be the truth. _"If he wasn't in control . . . is it possible it wasn't him that tried to kill my father?"_

"This technique Seshen, uses the perks of having your body being slowly eaten alive. My unique bond with the monster allows me to temporarily access some of the dragons chakra allowing me to create techniques like the dragon's claw and tail. But I can also convert parts of my anatomy to those of the dragons. In this case, I secrete some of the dragon's stomach acid from the sweat glands in my hand."

"_Stomach acid?" _Kakashi repeats. _"That explains why the dew was able to corrode the ground."_

"After secreting the stomach acid from my poses, the acid dissolves almost any material that it comes into contact with. The rock face and mountain area around here is made up primarily of limestone which is high in calcium. The calcium and carbon that are present in almost every substance around here, and in most solid materials, produce hydrogen fumes when they are dissolved by the dragon's stomach acid. I can harness all of the hydrogen fumes into my hand and combine it with more stomach acid producing a swirling ball of acid . . . and highly flammable hydrogen. I then use a very small amount of chakra to contain the combustible elements in an orb that makes it easier for me to manipulate and control. The smoke, ash debris coming from the technique, signifies that the technique has become hot enough for my liking. This jutsu can reach temperatures hotter than a pyroclastic flow. Making this technique . . . the hottest one around!"

Ending his explanation abruptly, Toshida charges Seshen for what he states will be the last time. His throws his right arm back, keeping his face away from the intense heat leaking out from his jutsu. As Seshen looks on, he can see Toshida's glowing reptilian eyes piercing through him as he runs with the smoldering hot technique, creating the illusion of a snarling dragon charging at him with the intense fire burning in its mouth. Seshen backs up quickly, tripping slightly over Toshida's dropped backpack. Seshen places the tip of his sword an inch into the ground as he stands fast and awaits Toshida's strike. When Toshida gets close enough Seshen channels his bloodline once more and increases his speed just as he swipes his sword along the ground, sending a wave of sand into Toshida's face to blind the attacking nin, and using his speed to safely move out of the technique. Toshida trips over his backpack and his hand hits the ground and the jutsu disappears spread out through the ground and returning it to the ground below.

Seshen swings his sword around only to have it blocked by a partially blind Toshida. The two exchange a quick series of sword attacks with Toshida using only his sense of hearing to determine where Seshen's strikes are coming from.

"_Dammit! Even blind he is the better swordsman!" _Seshen curses.

Toshida manages to tear up and removes the sand from his eyes, leaving brown streaks of dirt and tears down his cheeks as he continues to fight with Seshen in another intense duel of swordsmanship. Seshen striking high and hard, using his strength and weight advantage and Toshida blocking with one hand, as he tries to get the remnants of the dirt out of his eyes.

_(Music: Queue "Hokage" from the Naruto OST III)_

As the two continue battling one another, Seshen uses continuous downward strikes to force Toshida to one knee. Toshida fights desperately not to be overcome by Seshen onslaught and Seshen pours more and more of his aggression into his strikes forcing Toshida back. Toshida grits his teeth ad he continuous his defensive with no sign of a change in the situation becoming evident. Seshen finally changes his tactic and catches Toshida off guard with a lateral slash that Toshida blocks. But the strike is hard enough to knock Toshida's balance off and his sword comes away from his front quarter as he uses his arms to correct himself and regain his balance leaving his chest and stomach completely open.

"_Got him!" _Seshen says, as the distance, direction and Toshida's disposition have become perfect for Seshen's finally move and the cloud nin firms his double hand grasp on his sword as he thrusts forward with a high speed slash that appears almost in slow motion.

Toshida quickly recovers and counters with a stab of his own. Toshida lunges off his feet from his prone and crouched position with both hands on his handle and performs a sort of barrel roll as he extends his sword. The sword tips connect with one another, with Toshida's forces being pushed upward and Seshen's downward both striking with their weight to the left. Toshida's position and his sword placement combine with his spin allows him to twist underneath Seshen's blade, grinding his own blade along it as he goes, parrying Seshen's attack and leaving Seshen completely prone. Toshida reaches to the ground and grabs a hold of his backpack, feeding his hand through the shoulder strap. As his hand emerges out the other side of the strap, all of the energy and form from Toshida's attack suddenly emerges from the ground and back into Toshida's hand, leaving a trail of pyroclastic ash in its wake. Toshida's arm crosses in front of his chest as he dashes to Seshen's right side with his blade finishing its parry against Seshen's, leaving Seshen's mid section completely prone and helpless to dodge the upcoming attack.

Toshida comes up slightly behind Seshen as the attack moves slowly toward his solar plexus. Toshida closes his eyes, consumed by regret, and whispers to Seshen without making eye contact, "Suminasen (I'm sorry) . . . Seshen-kun."

Seshen looks on helplessly as Toshida suddenly whips the backpack into Seshen's stomach with a flick of the wrist and then drives the jutsu into the back pack and pushes hard against Seshen's body. Toshida grits his teeth and does not look as his eyes begin to water slightly just before the jutsu explodes and Toshida finishes his pushing motion and his arm follows the motion of throwing a side arm throw and forces Seshen to go flying backward, skipping along the ground several times before smacking hard into the rock face.

Seshen's vision becomes blurred as he bounces off the rock face and drops to his knees. _"Chikushou . . . chikushou . . . Tosh . . . ida . . . why did you spare my life. This . . . changes nothing . . . Chikushou . . ." _Seshen's vision then fades to black as he falls forward, passiing out before he even hits the ground. _"I'll . . . get you . . . you bas . . . tard . . ." _Seshen's body hits the ground with a loud thump signifying the end of the epic battle.

Toshida stands with his hand covered in minor burns, still simmering and smoldering from the technique. Toshida's breaths are heavily labored as the young shinobi succumbs to exhaustion and Toshida falls to his knees, only to be caught by Kakashi who slings Toshida's left arm over his shoulder. "Thanks . . . Kakashi." Kakashi simply nods and helps Toshida gather up his belongings. The two walk over to Seshen's unconscious frame, and Toshida leans down by Seshen's head and places his fingers along the side of the wounded nin's neck. "Ok . . . he's alive."

_(Music: Queue "Swaying Necklace" from the Naruto OST III)_

Toshida stares down at Seshen's battered and broken body laying unconscious on the ground. Toshida cannot help but feel upset and somewhat distraught as he stares down at his former senpai. Toshida moves his hair back and out of his face as his stoic look is replaced by one of deep sadness. "He wanted to kill me Kakashi. The only person in my life, that I ever would have called my friend. Not a teammate . . . nor one of my kin. A neutral third party that even though . . . I sometimes hated . . . at the end of the day . . . I would call him my friend. And he wants nothing more . . . then to see me dead. And I can't blame him either. I hate this situation Kakashi. I'm tired of seeing the people I care about suffer because of me."

The two shinobi then move back toward the rest of Toshida's clothing and Toshida puts his jacket and hat back on. "We have to get all of this information back home Kakashi. And we need to hurry back as fast as we can. This fight took a lot out of me and I am going to need to have my seals tightened. Sorry to disappoint you . . . but I won't give you the chance to kill me today."

"I wouldn't dream of it. You still have much that I wish to know. I won't let you die until I know what I want to know. After that . . . I could care less." Kakashi says as he gathers up his belongings as well.

"So warm and caring as always Kakashi." The two then leap into the air and continue leaping from perch to perch on their way back to the leaf village, choosing a new path straight through the thunder country to lessen the time necessary to return home.

Little would the two shinobi know, that the home they were returning to, would soon be under fire from one of the most dangerous and determined alliances the five countries had ever seen. Little did they know, the condition of the home they would be returning to . . .


	23. Forbidden Vengeance

**_Chapter 23:_** **_Forbidden Vengeance _**

_(Authors Note: Chapter Picks Up Directly after The Toshida Gaiden Chapter 13, available in the back stories section)_

Kakashi thrusts his right arm downwardand clasps his elbow with his left hand. A large accumulation of chakra builds up in the palm of Kakashi's right hand as his only original jutsu begins to form amongst the calm yet bloody backdrop of the old Tarawa creek battlefield.

"**_RAIKIRI!" _**Kakashi shouts as he lunges forward with a sparkling collage of electric looking chakra. Kakashi charges at high speed toward the exhausted and prone Toshida who does not attempt to stray from the leaf jounin's path. Kakashi uses his right hand to remove his leaf village head protector, revealing his hidden sharingan eye, to complete the technique and ensure that his aim is true.

As Kakashi thrusts his hand forward in a sum of all the anger and rage that he feels in his heart, his mind wanders for a split second as he remembers a conversation that he and a young pupil of his had over a year ago.

_**Flashback**_

Kakashi stands on a tree branch just outside the Konoha hospital with his fingers entwining a strand of kurot wire that ensnares an angry Uchiha Sasuke.

"Chidori is a power given to you because you found things that are important to you." Kakashi says to the now stoic Sasuke, as he releases his ensnarement. "That power is not something to be used against your friends . . . or for revenge."

_**Flashback Ends**_

Kakashi stands with his eyes wide open as he stares down the still calm Toshida who shows no fear, even with the crackling spark of the chidori only inches from his face. The memory of Kakashi's own words finally give the vengeful shinobi a chance to reflect on all that has happened. Kakashi powers down the chidori and slowly backs away from Toshida, hanging his head in shame.

"Why didn't you flinch?" Kakashi asks quietly.

"Because I could see the intent in your eyes. A look that I have seen hundreds of times . . . a look that could see the very embodiment of anger and pain . . . the look that yearns to lash out and attack and even kill that embodiment. In hopes that its death or pain would lead to your salvation . . . or to the easing of your own pain." Toshida lowers his head as the moment of emotion between the two is effecting him as well. "That look . . . is a gift to someone like me."

"A gift?" Kakashi repeats.

"Yes, a gift. When someone receives a gift, you never take your eyes off of that gift until to fully accept it, receive it, and find out just what it is. I could see your desire to kill me in your eyes, and ever since Tarawa creek I have always been on the look out for someone else with that look. In hopes that they may strike me down . . . to even slightly atone for what I have done. I would have owed you a great debt in the next world Kakashi if it had been you who would banish me from this one." Toshida rises to his feet slowly, still clutching at his wounded side and still out of breath from his use of the Ryuugan. "Let's go Kakashi. One day you may get that revenge that deep down you desire. But it is not today."

"Even if I hit you with the chidori . . . you could have healed couldn't you?" Kakashi asks.

"Not likely."

"Wh-what!"

"Your attack was aimed straight at my face. With the amount of chakra I felt, you could have impaled my entire skull without having any trouble. There is very little possibility that I could heal from that."

"But in your memories . . . I saw you heal from many different wounds."

"Yes but I needed to make a conscious or unconscious thought in order to do so. If I have no functional brain . . . then I can't do that can I?" Toshida replies as he gives off a bit of a smirk.

"No . . . I guess not." Kakashi rises to his feet as well and the two set off into the tree's on their way back to the leaf village at the highest possible speed. But Kakashi is still uncertain about something and his curiosity once again gets the best of him. "Toshida?" Kakashi asks.

"Yes." Toshida turns his head only slightly to reply to Kakashi.

"Where else have you seen that look before?"

Toshida turns his head forward again, staring off into the distance as he remains true to his course home. "I have seen it . . . everyday . . . when I look in the mirror."

Meanwhile, back in the leaf village Keinea finds himself pacing back and forth in the Hokage's office as it seems all of his efforts to find a technique to help his brother have come to an end. But at what cost?

"I can't give this to brother." Keinea says out loud, looking down ad a jutsu scroll he holds in his left hand. "Why can nothing ever go our way? Why must everything have to be so hard? Why must we constantly face set back after set back!" Keinea smashes the bottom of his fist into the nearby office wall, cracking the concrete slightly.

At that moment, Maea walks into the room to hear Keinea's ranting. "What's the matter Keinea?" Maea asks, "What's wrong now?"

Keinea is apprehensive to tell Maea any of the details, and he quickly dismisses his concerns as rambling. "N-nothing. Its nothing." Keinea places the scroll down on the Hokage's desk as he makes his way out of the office in an obvious pout. "I'm going for a walk."

Maea can only watch as Keinea makes his way outside. Maea then is greeted by Sakura with some good news.

"Maea-san!" Sakura says happily as she waves to her fellow medical nin. "I have some good news that I thought you may like to hear!"

"Really?" Maea asks. "What is it?"

"Ino is being released again. She has improved greatly in the last few days. She has been smiling a bit too. It may not sound like much, but considering how she was, it is a big step forward."

"That is great to hear. I was worried that she may never recover from the accident. I have to tell you again that it was not Toshida-sama's . . . I mean Toshida-san's . . . I mean Toshida's fault."

"Still having trouble not referring to him as Toshida-sama aren't you?"

"Yes. I have been indebted to him for so long, ever since I met him actually . . . that it doesn't feel natural to refer to him informally."

"That's not it though is it?" Sakura says with a concerned smile on her face.

Maea begins to blush and become flustered as she tries to answer the question. "No . . . it's not."

"I've seen the way you look at him Maea." Sakura says as she has a brief flashback of the way that she herself used to look at Sasuke. "You love him don't you?"

_(Music: Queue "Loneliness" from the Naruto OST)_

"I . . . I . . . I owe him more then just my life. I want to see him happy and I want to see him free from all of the burdens that he carries upon his shoulders." Maea begins to tear up as she thinks of all the things that have happened in Toshida's life . . . all that she has been told that is. "He has been through so much . . . but he is still a good man at heart. He may seem stern or unfeeling at times, but I know for a fact that his heart is aching. I want nothing more then to be Toshida-sama's crutch. I want to be able to lift him up when he needs help . . . or to have him rely on me when he doesn't feel strong enough . . . to be there for him when needs someone to be."

"I had no idea that Toshida's burdens also burdened you as well. You always seem so focused and strong, capable of taking on any challenge that comes your way. But when it comes to him . . . you become confused . . . you become weak."

Maea looks on in shock as Sakura's words are almost hurtful to her, and Sakura's look of focus and determination as an odd change for the often cheerful shinobi. "What are you saying Sakura?"

"I am saying that your heart can lead you astray. There is never anything wrong with loving someone. Or wanting to be there to support them. But in the end if you find yourself on the giving end of a crush that may never come to fruition, you will only end up hurting yourself. All I can say . . . is be careful. Men like Toshida need to be given all the space that you can give them . . . but at the same time they need to know that someone is there to catch them if they fall. Whether they like it or not."

Sakura then walks off leaving a confused Maea behind to dwell on her thoughts and Sakura's words. As Sakura heads off into the distance, a single tear falls from fragile shinobi's eye.

Elsewhere in the Leaf village, Hyuuga Neji walks through the streets wearing his newly acquired chuunin vest with something in his hand as he walks around calmly before he runs into his teammate Rock Lee.

"Lee? I thought that you would have gone with the other members of S.I.C.T. to the Waterfall village, why are you still here?"

"Gai-sensei wanted me to stay back in the village." Lee says as he kicks aimlessly at some dirt on the ground. "I wanted to go help! If there was trouble that they were heading into to, I wanted to be the one to be there to help Gai-sensei and possibly have my time to shine in front of the legendary Jiraiya!" Rock Lee says with a childish glitter in his eye.

A bead of sweat runs down Neji's forehead as his teammates actions are, as always, embarrassing. "Anyway, have you seen Tenten?" Neji asks.

"Hey! I forgot to say congratulations on becoming chuunin! With all of my training with S.I.C.T. I wasn't able to see the examination. And since Hokage-sama left for that tournament, I heard she didn't get to make her decision on who became a chuunin during the last exam."

"Lee . . ."

"But I heard you did great and she finally promoted you just the other day. But don't go getting cocky because when things finally calm down I'm going . . ."

"LEE!" Neji shouts sternly, finally garnishing the attention of the goofy ninja. "Have you seen Tenten?"

"Oh Tenten? Um . . ." Rock Lee begins to search around his immediate area in search of their wayward teammate. "Um . . ."

"Oh forget it Lee!" Neji continue's on his way leaving Lee behind. Lee quick catches up to Neji and walks alongside his teammate.

"Why are you looking for Tenten?" Lee asks.

"She left this at our practice spot this morning." Neji says as he shows Lee the object in his hand. A dagger like weapon attacked to a long thin chain at the end of a small red wooden handle. "I was just trying to return it to her."

The atmosphere overall in the leaf village is a calm and quiet one as everything begins to proceed as usual. Shikamaru walks home after completing another assignment for the Hokage. Ino is released from the hospital with Sakura and Chouji present. Iruka and the rest of the academy staff continue on as usual, and all of the civilians continue shopping along the main streets and enjoying the nice weather. No one being the wiser that the large force of cloud and sound shinobi lie only one kilometer outside the main gates of the leaf village

Orochimaru and the Raikage observe from further behind the lines as all of the forces, lead by Orochimaru's cloaked subordinate creep closer and closer to the village awaiting the signal to attack.

"Well then Raikage-dono." Orochimaru says as he advances forward. "Its time to get a closer look."

"Where are you going?" The Raikage asks.

"I have something special planned for the Hokage . . . and I want to make sure that I get a good enough seat for the action before I have to go face her."

Orochimaru advances forward, joining the rest of the forces as the Raikage remains behind with his entourage to watch the battle from afar.

Outside the village the mysterious white shinobi hides more bodies of slain ANBU patrols. Stringing some of them in the trees, other's in the deep underbrush, and burying others. All with precision and quickness to avoid the possibility of being seen.

In the bowels on the leaf village hospital, two shinobi have the unpleasant duty of transferring some corpses into the morgue. One of the corpses the two shinobi are in charge of transporting, is the slain woman that walked into the village, letting the leaf's know of the attack on the waterfall village.

"Man, why is it that we have to be the ones for this duty?" One of the shinobi asks. "I thought this was supposed to be the hospital staff's duty?"

"Yea I know. This is always such a creepy job, I don't see why we should be doing it. Get some of the genin to do it, not us."

The two shinobi then lift one of the corpses up off of the tables still covered in the white covering. As they beginning walking to the other side of the room where the corpses are to be moved to, one of the shinobi slips on a damp area on the floor, and the falls to the ground, causing the other shinobi to lose his grip and release the body, sending the limp corpse on top of the fallen shinobi.

"OH GOD GET IT OFF OF ME GET IT OFF!" The shinobi screams as he tries to shimmy out from underneath. The other shinobi lifts the limp body up off of the shinobi just enough for him to get out from underneath.

"There, ya big baby!"

"Shut up will ya, that was awful!"

The two shinobi look down on the now uncovered corpse of the woman, and notice something strange along the base of the woman's neck. An odd fold in the skin followed by what seems to be a crease just above the woman's collar bone.

"What in the hell is that?" One of the shinobi asks.

"I . . . I don't know. I hope that didn't happen while we were moving the girl, or we are gonna be in deep trouble."

The other shinobi crouches down and reaches for the odd flap of skin on the woman's face only to have his partner grab his wrist quickly.

"Are you crazy? Just leave her alone and let's finish this job!"

"And what if Hokage-sama finds out later huh? What then? Do you not want to try and fix the problem?"

The shinobi shrugs his shoulders as he realizes his colleague is correct. "All right fine, but BE CAREFUL!"

The shinobi reaches downward and gently grabs the flap of skin in an effort to stretch it back out and fix the woman's appearance. As his fingers touch the woman's skin, he notices that it's texture is slightly odd. As he moves the folded skin in the other direction, he then notices the crease along the collar bone begin to rise up. The two shinobi then soon realize, that the dead woman is wearing a mask.

The shinobi reaches under the mask and slowly removes it off of the woman's face revealing a completely new face.

"We had better get Hokage-sama!"

Just outside the Hyuuga household, Hyuuga Hinata continues her reclusive and private training sessions in an effort to improve her own sense of self. Dozen's of kunai lay strewn and broken around her as her now long black hair hairs down to her shoulders. A number of small and shallow cuts appear across the back of her fishnet shinobi shirt and along her exposed arms. Her physique has changed noticeably over the last year as slight definition can be seen along her arms, the summation of all of her training. Her body has become well toned and more athletic, baring little resemblance to the weak and shy shinobi that fought her cousin in during the chuunin exam a year ago.

A fully recovered Aburame Shino steps out from behind a set of tree's as their sensei, Yuuhi Kurenai drops from above.

"Good work Hinata!" Kurenai encourages. "You almost had it today."

"Thank you Kurenai-sensei." Hinata responds with a slightly disappointed tone.

"What's wrong Hinata?" Kurenai asks.

"N-nothing." Hinata responds. "I had just hoped that I would have the technique mastered by now. And I feel guilty having you out here so soon after you were released from the hospital Shino-kun."

"I'm all right Hinata." The ever stoic and mysterious Shino replies. "I only received minor injuries." Shino's words although truthful, are still masked behind a veil of insecurities as Shino's mind is still irritated by the visions and feelings injected into his psyche by Akira Toshida back at the tournament.

"Don't worry Hinata. These kinds of things take time. You have made some real progress in recent weeks and I just know that any day now you will master the jutsu."

"Th-thank you, Kurenai-sensei." Hinata responds. She may have in fact mastered the technique if her mind had been completely focused. However, Shino's injury and her frustrations in her training are not the only things that have plagued the young shinobi's mind. The recent hostilities between Naruto and Keinea over her own affections have made Hinata feel more then a little bit out of place. Hinata's heart belongs to Naruto, although Naruto is too clueless to notice. And Keinea desires nothing more then to win her heart, even if it means removing Naruto from the picture.

Meanwhile, the S.I.C.T. team has arrived just outside the hidden Waterfall village and they begin to survey the surrounding area with the utmost in stealth. After the first half of the team survey's the far side of the village's entrance perimeter, they return to Jiraiya who has taken command of the team.

"Jiraiya-sama, we have completed our sweep and have found no signs of forced entry, nor any signs of other shinobi. No broken branches, no displaced dirt or tracks. Nothing."

Jiraiya rubs his chin with his thumb and index finger as he thinks about their interesting situation. "That is odd. How could they have entered the village without coming this way? According to the information we had on file from team 7's mission here, this is on the only way into the village. Nevertheless, we don't have much time to waste. Both teams, let's go!"

All members of the S.I.C.T. team enter into the pool that leads to the entrance of the waterfall village. The teams swim their way through the cave system until the reach the other side. The shinobi take great care not to disturb the surface of the pool as they rise up from the depths of the entrance, using modified straws to gather oxygen from the air without revealing themselves.. Jiraiya is the first to raise his eyes above the water, and a look of shock quickly shows itself on his face.

"Im-impossible!" Jiraiya says, as his words send a bubble mass of oxygen to the surface of the water.

Back in the leaf village, Tsunade has arrived at the village morgue in the hospitals basement to examine the findings of the two shinobi.

"This . . . this can't be." Tsunade says out loud. "This is . . . _his _jutsu." Tsunade holds up the mask that was once strewn over the face of the deceased woman as she examines it closer with an astonished look across her face.

"It's Orochimaru . . . isn't it?" One of the panicked shinobi asks.

"There is no doubt about it." Tsunade responds. "But that is not what I am mostly concerned about."

As the scene pans outward the face of the dead woman becomes visible, the shock on Tsunade's face is understandable as the face is revealed to be that of the pudgy Yukina. The shinobi who's place was taken by Maea as a disguise during the abduction of Tsunade at the Wave country tournament.

"How did this girl come into this situation?" Then suddenly the realization of all that is going on hits Tsunade. "Oh no . . ."

Jiraiya and the rest of the S.I.C.T. are speeding their way back toward the leaf village at an even higher speed then before as they too have realized what has happened.

"We have to hurry back to the village. Everyone increase your speed as much as possible we are already out of time!" Jiraiya shouts as he rides on the back of his aerodynamic frog traveling at the front of the group. _"I can't believe that we fell for this."_

_**Flashback to several minutes before**_

Jiraiya looks out into the waterfall village and is stunned by what he can see. All of those townspeople walking around and going about their daily business as if nothing had happened at all. The townspeople look on in curiosity at their new visitors multiplying their numbers as they rise out from the watery entrance. One of the townspeople moves in closer and addresses Jiraiya.

"Shinobi from the leaf village?" The old man asks. "Is there something wrong?"

Jiraiya and the other shinobi only look on confused as they had the exact same question on their mind. "No . . . I suppose not. Is everything ok here?" Jiraiya asks.

"Why yes of coarse everything is ok here. Is there any reason for us to think the contrary?"

"No . . . not at all." Jiraiya says as he tries to think the awkward situation. _"Why would we receive information that there was an attack here?" _Jiraiya looks around the other members of his away team and notices several jounin and only a few chuunin as well as Gai and himself. _"Unless it was to get us out of the village . . . oh no!" _Jiraiya's eyes light up in a panic and he quickly spins around to face the rest of the team. "IT WAS A TRAP!"

_**Flashback Ends.**_

Orochimaru's spy all dressed in white sits atop one of the large guard towers along the perimeter of the village as the bodies on the sentry guards lie strewn around him. The shinobi claps his hands together twice in the seal of the ram as he begins the release jutsu on all of his hidden bombs.

"_**Bakuhatsu no jutsu!" **(Exploding technique) _At that moment several of the white shinobi's exploding tags all over the village begin to sequentially detonate. A tag blows up right along side one of the many vendors along the villages main streets. Another tag explodes on the outer wall of the intensive care unit of the Konoha hospital.

Another tag explodes along the side of the Hokage building just as Akira Keinea is walking by. The blast sends him hurdling through the air and hard to the ground. Another tag explodes on the outer wall of the shinobi academy and several more along the perimeter wall, opening up a large hole in the wall along its northern side.

Outside the village, the awaiting army has received the signal loud and clear and the ready themselves for the official order.

"Well then," Orochimaru says. "Let us begin!"

The massive army of cloud and sound then charge toward the opening in the wall as the one kilometer gap between them and the wall begins to close very quickly. The army's war cry can be heard by all in the leaf village, and their attention is soon draw the rising number of silhouettes appearing out of what seems to have been nowhere.

Tsunade runs out of the burning rubble that was once the front gate of the Konoha hospital. She is soon joined by both Shizune and Sakura as well as many other medical ninjas that await her orders.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune shouts. "What do we do?"

"You and Sakura gather all the wounded from the hospital and get them into the caves. The rest of you start organizing search teams and begin fanning out around the village and locate anyone that has been injured and take them to the tunnels as well."

"But, Tsunade-sama what about you?" Sakura asks.

"The academy was hit, I need to help the students. HURRY UP AND GO!" Tsunade shouts, sending all of the medical shinobi off into the village as Hagane Kotetsu soon comes to the Hokage's side. "Hagane! Sound the alert and get all of the shinobi in the village massed and ready for an attack. Go to my office and start sending out the signal birds and get everyone that is on missions back here as soon as possible."

"Got it!" Hagane says as he makes a run for the Hokage building.

"And find out what happened to all of our patrols!"

Meanwhile, Keinea rises to his feet after shaking off some of the injuries he sustained in the blast. "What the hell was that?" He asks out loud as he looks over his dirty clothing and examines his aching frame. "Well . . . nothing serious to worry about." Keinea's attention is soon drawn to the mass of screaming shinobi charging toward the village with reckless abandon. "Oh . . . shit! I gotta find Maea and Toragai!" Keinea then runs off to search for both of them.

The whole village is in disarray as more and more explosions rip through the once quite streets. Injured civilians riddle the streets as dozens of medical shinobi leap from burning building to burning building in an attempt to save as many lives as possible. The only defensive force for the oncoming onslaught of the massive army consists of less the one hundred shinobi against a force of over three hundred, not including Orochimaru and his closest subordinates.

The main wave of the shinobi army finally reaches the hole in the perimeter wall and dozens of shinobi begin leaping into the village with Kunai at the ready. All of the shinobi begin fanning out and attacking predetermined areas in the leaf village. Morino Ibiki and a force of some of his instructors are some of the first to engage the enemy at the perimeter. Kunai and shuriken fly in abundance as the leafs find themselves at a severe disadvantage.

Matarashi Anko runs along the streets of the leaf village toward the oncoming horde and is soon met by seven sound shinobi. The sound shinobi then attack immediately as they have already found their predetermined target. The sound ninja's aim high and Anko slides low taking out two of the shinobi at the knees and dropping them to the ground. She follows up quickly with a dual kunai attack, stabbing both shinobi at the base of the neck killing them instantly.

"I DON'T HAVE TIME TO DEAL WITH YOU!" Anko shouts as she parries the attacks of two more shinobi, only to be on the receiving end of a vicious slash from another. The kunai slashes Anko along the cheek, distracting her long enough for another shinobi to land a straight punch to her stomach.

As another shinobi lines up Anko for a fatal stab, reinforcements arrive in the form of several leaf chuunin that use their surprise advantage to disperse the sound shinobi's permanently with a volley of shuriken.

"Anko-sensei!" One of the shinobi shouts, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. We have to rally as many shinobi as possible, and defend the village!"

Before any of the shinobi respond, they are struck down by a hail of shuriken that fly at them from the shadows. A dark silhouette leaps from the shadows and slices and stabs the remaining shinobi until Anko is left standing alone with a ring of deceased shinobi lying around her. Anko turns around to see Orochimaru's cloaked subordinate standing with their back to her. The figure turns just enough to see the look on Anko's face, and enough that Anko can see the look on the cloaked shinobi's face. The shinobi smiles and then leaps into the air, and away from Anko who quickly takes up pursuit.

Shikamaru runs through the streets as he two tries to find other shinobi to help the defensive. Shikamaru is quickly attacked by three shinobi that fall from above with kunai at the ready. They move in to attack and Shikamaru quickly slams his hands together in the seal of the rat.

"**_KAGEMANE NO JUTSU!" _**The attacking shinobi are quickly ensnared and paralyzed with Shikamaru's shadow copy. "Sorry folks, but I don't have time to deal with you people!" Shikamaru then changes his hand seals, dragon, tiger and then back to the rat while maintaining his firm shadowy grip on the three shinobi.

"**_KAGE KUBISHIBARI NO JUTSU!_**" Shikamaru's shadow neck bind then begins to climb up the bodies of the sound shinobi, applying pressure right on the shinobi's throats. _"I can't kill these people. We may need them for questioning later." _Shikamaru thinks to himself. _"Well let's try something different!" _The shadowy hands on the shinobi's throats then begin to recede down the shinobi's chests as the hands then clasp their fingers together forming a shadowy fist in the middle of all three shinobi's chests.

"Say goodnight!" Shikamaru says with a smile on his face. The fists then accelerate upward at the shinobi, uppercutting all of them with tremendous force knocking all of them unconscious with a single thunderous blow. Shikamaru quickly looks over the unconscious shinobi and smirks to himself. "Hmpf. Shadow uppercut technique?"

Shikamaru then continues on his path to try and find more leaf shinobi to help in the effort. As Shikamaru turns around the corner he collides with another shinobi and both men drop to the ground. They recover quickly, reaching for their kunai without even identifying one another. As both shinobi bring their kunai up to each other's throats, they quickly realize each other's identity as both Shikamaru and Keinea are crouched and armed, ready to kill one another.

Keinea lowers his blade quickly as he begins to lau8gh. "Shikamaru, you scared the crap out of me!"

"Likewise!" Shikamaru says as he too joins in the laughter.

The humorous atmosphere soon changes as more explosions rip through the leaf village and the sound of shuriken clashing echoes throughout the streets.

"We have to find more leafs to help defend the vital areas!" Shikamaru says.

"Agreed. I was searching for Maea and Toragai and then I was going to head to the hospital."

"Don't bother!" Shikamaru interrupts. "The hospital is in flames, I just came from there. The wounded are being moved to the tunnel system in the mountain as well as the children and the civilians. Maea was headed towards the triage center they were setting up at the mouth of the tunnels. I haven't seen Toragai."

"Neither have I!" Keinea says with concern in his voice. "He has been gone all morning. If he went for another one of his walks then he may have run into the hiding army. I need to go join Maea. If she gets hurt, my brother will kill me!"

"No!" Shikamaru shouts. "I need you to help me with the defense of the village. Maea can take care of herself. Plus she has Shizune and Sakura with her, as well as dozens of other shinobi guarding the tunnels. She has a wide medical background and we are going to need her to help tend the wounded. Please Keinea come with me."

"All right. What if we run into more shinobi then we can handle?"

Shikamaru takes a quick moment to think things over, and then suddenly an attack plan hits him. "All right! I have an idea!"

Meanwhile, Anko continues chasing after the cloaked shinobi who then stops the game of cat and mouse as he takes up a position just outside the forest of death training grounds. Anko lands just several meters behind the shinobi and she readies a kunai and prepares for to attack. Summoning chakra into her arm and releasing a set of four snakes out from the sleeve of her jacket. The snakes fan out and lunge toward the cloaked figure, landing gripping blows on the cloaked figures wrists and ankles.

"_**SENEI JASHUU!" **(Shadow snake hand) _Anko uses the snakes to try and force the shinobi backward but to no avail as the cloaked shinobi leans forward and holds his ground against the strength of the four snakes. Anko changes her strategy and yanks back on the snakes, pulling the shinobi along with them and straight into a hard punch from Anko that lands inside the hood of the cloaked shinobi and directly on his face. The shinobi's cloak rips along the base of the hood as the snakes still had a hold of the cuffs at his wrists. The shinobi then disappears with a puff of smoke leaving the cloak and a bunch of logs in his place. Anko is soon caught off guard as she notices an exploding tag on the kawarimi replacement.

She leaps into the air and avoids the explosion only to be forced to dodge a barrage of shuriken that emerges out of nowhere. One of the shuriken clips the left side of Anko's face now giving her a gash on each side of her face. Anko lands on the ground several meters away from the now cloak less shinobi. Anko looks up in shock as she can see a pair of black and grey camouflage style shorts above white bandaging along the shinobi's shins with a shuriken pouch strapped along the right leg. The shinobi wears a long black t-shirt with a high collar as well as white binding along both forearms, with a then layer of black leather binding on top connected with a single snap button on each arm. The glistening silhouette of a sound village head protector shines outward from the dark hood still atop the shinobi's head. And a red and white fan emblem can be seen on the back of the shinobi's shirt.

As he raises his head, Anko can see the piercing red glimmer of a three tomoe sharingan staring back at her as the wind blows off the remnants of the shinobi's hood revealing his chin length black hair, spiked up at the back.

"It's been a long time . . . hasn't it . . . Anko?" The dark shinobi says in a haunting tone.

"Hmpf. Indeed it has been . . . Uchiha . . . Sasuke."


	24. The Return of The Vengeful Leafs

_**Chapter 24: Return Of The Vengeful Leafs**_

The sound village's Uchiha Sasuke stands only a few meters away from the leaf village special jounin Matarashi Anko with a look of confidence across his face that glows red with the vibrant aura of his fully evolved sharingan.

"Uchiha Sasuke." Anko addresses. "You have been dubbed a missing nin by the Hokage and the rest of the leaf villages ruling council. You have betrayed your comrades and your village . . . " Anko is quickly interrupted as a shuriken flies just past the left side of her head.

"Enough talk Anko, I don't have time for this." Sasuke says as he readies himself in a fighting stance.

"_How? How did he? He was so fast I didn't even see him move? Yet he managed to get a shuriken past my guard?" _Anko says to herself. _"This kid could be a problem."_

As Anko readies herself in a fighting stance, preparing herself for Sasuke's attack, only to watch helplessly as Sasuke disappears in a flash.

"What!" Anko shouts.

"To slow Anko!" Sasuke says, as he appears behind Anko, drawing a clubbing fist to the right side of the leaf Jounin's head that is caught easily in Anko's left hand.

"And you're too cocky!"

Anko slams a back elbow into Sasuke's stomach sending the former leaf genin reeling and unwilling to block a follow up punch to his face. Anko leaps forward and thrusts her knee into Sasuke's gut knocking the wind out of him once again. Sasuke tries to counter with a left hook to Anko's face, but his punch is dodged as Anko bridges backward. Then using her hands for balance, pushes up with her legs and steps backward in a back flip like maneuver, clipping Sasuke's chin with the top of her foot. Anko gathers her balance quickly, leaping into the air and forcing Sasuke to the ground hard with a back spin kick. Sasuke rotates out of control as he spins backward before hitting the ground hard.

Anko lines up her arm as she readies her favorite technique. _**"Senei Jashuu!" **(Shadow Snake Hand) _Anko says as she releasesfour snakes from her sleeve toward the prone Sasuke. Sasuke turns his glance toward Anko with a vicious stare that halts the approach of Anko's snakes.

Anko begins to grimace in pain as she clutches the back of her neck. "Wh-what? How?" Anko asks aloud.

Sasuke stands to his feet slightly dazed from his impromptu lashing at the hands of the leaf examiner. "Did you think that Orochimaru-sama wouldn't prepare me for anyone that I may face in this village? Especially people that he once found useful?" Sasuke then raises his hand in the seal of a half ram as he focuses his chakra into the formation. "HA!"

The skill causes the curse seal on the back of Anko's neck to reappear as it throbs and throbs as it reaches deep into her very being to cause her intense pain. "You . . . you're just like . . . Orochimaru."

"Heh heh heh . . . Not yet. But soon I will be." Sasuke then looks on the ground as even the snakes extending from up Anko's sleeves are unable to move. "Hmpf. Such a useless technique. You need to keep up Anko. Or you'll miss the updated version." Four snakes the slither out from each of Sasuke's sleeves baring their fangs as they slowly creep toward Anko's helpless frame. The snakes then clamp down on each of Anko's limps causing her to scream out in pain as the strength of the snakes lift the helpless Anko off of the ground. The remaining four snakes coil around Sasuke's body, still hissing and snapping at the helpless Anko.

"I could kill you easily right now Anko." Sasuke says with a chilling cockiness in his smile. "But I think that right should be reserved for Orochimaru. Why don't we just go find him?"

Sasuke then disappears in another brilliant display of speed as he leaps from tree to tree cutting slightly through the forest of death on his way further back into the leaf village. As Sasuke leaps down from the last tree along his path, he can sense another strong chakra close by. Sasuke lands on the ground firmly and readies to continue on his way ignoring the chakra signal nearby. As he tries to leap away, he quickly notices . . . that his feet will not move.

"Wh-what . . . is this?" Sasuke asks out loud as he turns his head in the direction of the Chakra source.

_(Music: Queue "Fake" from the Naruto OST III) _

It then becomes very evident as to why Sasuke has found himself unable to move.

"Kagemane no jutsu success!" Says a focused Shikamaru with an almost angry scowl on his face.

"Nara . . . Shikamaru . . ." Sasuke says with an almost disgusted look on his face. "Still running down the same technique I see."

"Let her go Sasuke." Shikamaru insists.

"Why don't you try and make me? You may be able to keep me from moving . . ." Sasuke's snakes then begin to slither off of Sasuke as four of them extend toward Shikamaru and the other three only tighten their grip on Anko who is now almost unconscious. "But your useless technique can't stop my friends here."

"That's what YOU think." With the blink of an eye Shikamaru throws out three more quick hand seals. _Dragon, tiger, Rat._ **_"Kage kubishibari no jutsu!_**" Shikamaru's shadow then extends further more into eight small hands that clasp down around the heads of all of Sasuke's snakes. Shikamaru pours his chakra into four of the hands and they crush the heads of the snakes holding Anko, releasing her from their grip, as the other four hands move slowly up the remaining four serpents, much to Sasuke's surprise. "A lot has changed in the year that you have been gone Sasuke. I've got a few new tricks up my sleeve."

Sasuke looks on in surprise as Shikamaru's new technique has caught him off guard. "Hmpf. You may have learned a few new techniques . . . but I have learned MANY!" The mouths of the four remains snakes then open wide as they face Shikamaru as Sasuke calls out his next attack. _**"Shinja Kasai no jutsu!" **(Sacred snake flame technique) _The four snakes then unleash a hailstorm of fireballs from their mouths aimed toward Shikamaru. Shikamaru can only look on in shock as the fireball's impact all around him and the area where Shikamaru once stood is quickly reduced to fire, ash and smoke.

Sasuke looks on to the smoldering ruin before him as his snakes retreat back up his sleeves. Sasuke lets out an amused grin as he notices that he is no longer restrained by Shikamaru's shadow copy technique. "Pathetic. After an entire year you still haven't progressed." Sasuke says as he stalks toward Shikamaru's last location.

The smoke begins to clear and Sasuke soon notices that there is no sign of Shikamaru at all. "No replacement?" Sasuke asks, "But I saw it with my own eyes, he never moved. How could he have evaded? He isn't fast enough to elude my sharingan." A dark shadow soon appears behind the oblivious Sasuke moving in fast. As Sasuke finally turns around to notice Anko charging in fast, he fails to notice a second shadow now charging in from where Shikamaru once stood. As Anko lines up a thunderous left hand Sasuke leaps into the at the same time as the shadow turns out to be Shikamaru charging in with an identical punch. Anko and Shikamaru collide directly with each other's fists as Sasuke stands perched on top of both of them with an arrogant smile on his face with a foot planted firmly on each of their shoulders, applying just enough pressure to maintain his balance, as Shikamaru and Anko remain stuck in their prone position.

"Nice move Shikamaru." Sasuke says as he looks down to see Anko and Shikamaru's shadow's connected in between them. "Anko was too weak to move so you used your technique to move for her. How cunning."

Shikamaru grimaces as he realizes that his strategy has been figured out and he must now think of a new plan of action, while at the mercy of the dangerous Sasuke.

"I still don't understand how you could have dodged my attack with agility as pathetic as yours. So tell me how . . . won't you?" Sasuke holds his hand just over Shikamaru's head as one of Sasuke's snakes begins to slither down from his sleeve.

Suddenly a shadow hand bursts out from behind Shikamaru at incredible speed toward Sasuke's ankle. Sasuke notices the shadow hand and he quickly leaps off of the leaf ninja's shoulder's, back flipping in the process and pulling out several shuriken from his leg holster. As Sasuke's rotation brings him around, he launches a flurry of shuriken at Shikamaru and Anko who quickly leap apart in unison, avoiding all of the shuriken.

Shikamaru arms himself with a kunai as he releases Anko from the shadow copy technique. "Anko-sensei! You need to get to the triage center. Can you make it on your own?"

"Y-yes. But what about you?" Anko asks.

"I have a backup plan. But it will only hinder my progress if I have to try and protect you. Please go, I will hold Sasuke back here and further away from the village. Go, HURRY!"

Anko nods as she makes her way back to the village at high speed. She looks back at Shikamaru who continues dodging Sasuke's shuriken barrage. _"I'll send help Shikamaru. As soon as I can."_

Sasuke looks at the retreating Anko and pulls a kunai from his back pouch. "I'll be the one that decides who leaves this fight Anko. NOT YOU!" Sasuke readies his kunai to his side, preparing a side arm throw. Sasuke releases the kunai that then speeds out toward the fleeing Anko.

Shikamaru acts quickly to stop the kunai, preparing his hands in the seal of the rat and extending his shadow ahead of the kunai to connect with the shadow that the kunai has cast upon the ground, stopping it in mid air. "Safe!" Shikamaru shouts with a smile on his face.

Sasuke looks over to Shikamaru well amused by his cunning and quick thinking. "Very good Shikamaru. Looks like you have improved a bit! You have gained more control over your technique. But it still isn't enough to defeat me."

Shikamaru grinds his teeth in anger as he retracts his shadow as fast as he can sending it toward Sasuke, with the kunai still seized. Sasuke stares down the kunai confidently as it gets closer and closer, raising his hand with two fingers extended. The kunai finally reaches Sasuke and is stopped by Sasuke's middle and index finger that clasp it tightly on either side.

"Damn!" Shikamaru says quietly to himself as he pours more chakra into the jutsu, trying to push the kunai through Sasuke's nonchalant grip. But it is to no avail as Sasuke just chuckles at Shikamaru's futile attempts.

"Do you really think that you can simply push a kunai past my guard?" Sasuke laughs as he repositions his grip, clasping the ring at the back of the kunai with his index finger. "You are smarter than that Shikamaru."

Shikamaru lets out a laugh of his own as he smirks at Sasuke's arrogance. "You're right Sasuke. I AM smarter than that!"

Sasuke then drops the kunai from his grip as he realizes that he has been ensnared by Kagemane no jutsu for a second time. He turns his head just enough to notice a second shadow that had snuck up behind him while he was mocking Shikamaru.

"Clever." Sasuke mocks, "But you are still underestimating me."

Shikamaru stands up straight causing Sasuke to do the same through his jutsu. Shikamaru stands proud with a look of seriousness and determination not often seen from the leaf chuunin. "Uchiha Sasuke. I, Nara Shikamaru, Shinobi of the leaf, will be taking you into custody for the crime of treason against our village. You have taken part in another attack on this village and aided Orochimaru in destroying the lives of many of our shinobi. You have betrayed your people, destroyed your credibility, and disgraced your clan's very name."

Sasuke grits his teeth as Shikamaru's last comment has slapped the arrogant smirk right off of Sasuke's face.

"But on a personal note Sasuke. You betrayed your friends." Shikamaru's lip begins to quiver as he releases a lot of built up feelings that have weighed heavily upon his mind for more then a year now. "Because of you, six of us, that considered you a comrade risked our lives in order to bring you home, almost costing the lives of everyone in the group. And why? Because you were kidnaped? Because you were taken from the village against your will? No . . . because you turned your back on our village . . . on our home. Because of you, three of us almost died and for what? For the sake of your selfish ambitions! If any of us had died on that mission, what would it have been for? Nothing!"

Shikamaru makes the hand seals for his shadow neck bind technique as he continues on with his speech. "I am not one to take a stand, hell I am the last one of us that would show a care for anything. But in this case, I will lay my life on the line in the pursuit of bringing you . . . not home to the village . . . but to justice. To see that you pay for what you have done. And I swear to you Sasuke . . . I will not . . . fail again."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the village, Iruka and the other teachers struggle to get all of the children into the tunnels. The forces of the cloud and sound race through the streets of the village, encounter numerous wayward leaf shinobi on their way and many of them being dispatched quickly.

"Come on children! Into the tunnels!" Iruka shouts as he gets the last of the children into the tunnel entrance. Another one of the shinobi instructors comes running from inside the tunnels with a report to Iruka.

"Iruka-san! We are missing two students!"

"Wh-what? Who? Who is missing?"

"The thirds grandson and Moegi."

"Well where are they?

"Well . . . where are they!" Iruka snaps.

"I don't know! They must still be at the academy."

"Well I'm going back for them!" Iruka says sternly.

"Iruka-san, the invaders are everywhere. If just one of them gets in these tunnels, it would be a disaster. I cannot defend all of these children by myself!"

"What do you suggest I do! Just leave them behind?" Iruka snaps.

"They know how to get here, and they know that this is where they need to head. All we can do is stay close to the entrance awhile longer while we wait for them." The instructors' words are hard for Iruka to hear, but deep down Iruka knows that he is right. "I don't like it either, but there isn't anything else that we can do."

With a heavy heart, Iruka then closes the entrance door to the tunnels, leaving Konohamaru and Moegi to fend for themselves. "Hurry back kids . . . please."

Back at the academy Moegi and Konohamaru are sneaking about the outer perimeter that has been swallowed by thick black smoke. The two do what they can to avoid the random shinobi leaping past the front of the academy.

"Konohamaru-kun, I think we lost the rest of the group!" Says a frightened Moegi.

"Don't you think I know that!" Konohamaru shouts. "We just have to make it to the tunnels ourselves."

"But how?" Moegi asks. "These ninjas are everywhere and the smoke is too thick."

"We will find a way, don't worry." Konohamaru says, as he and Moegi then make a run for the next wall to hide behind.

At that moment, one of the sound shinobi passes in front of the two academy students, and then begins to advance on the two of them. "Well what do we have here?" The masked shinobi asks.

Konohamaru steps in front of the frightened Moegi as he prepares to try and defend her with his life, knowing full well that it would be all in vein. "G-get away from us!" Konohamaru says, doing his best to sound tough.

"Oh? And what are you going to do about it little brat? You know you can't stop me!"

Suddenly a voice comes from behind the sound shinobi. "No, but I CAN!" The voice belongs to a dark silhouette that soon leaps out from the shadow and strikes the shinobi in the stomach with an open hand blow. The dark feminine silhouette pours chakra out from her hand and into the stomach of the attacking sound shinobi, disrupting the shinobi's vital organs and sending the attacker hurdling into the concrete wall that borders the academy.

As the smoke begins to clear, Hinata stands in front of Konohamaru and Moegi with her hand extended to the two young academy students. "Come with me. I'll help you get to the tunnels!"

The two children take Hinata's hand as they begin running for the tunnel entrance. The trio manages to remain hidden as much as possible, using Hinata's enhanced vision to see larger groups of shinobi and managing to steer clear of them.

Iruka and the other instructor finally hear a loud banging on the door as Hinata and the two students try to gain entry to the tunnel system. Iruka opens the entrance door and the two students join the rest of their classmates.

"Hinata, we are going to make our way into the tunnel system, hopefully we will meet up with others. You're welcome to come with us."

"I can't Iruka-sensei. I have to help as much as I can. I haven't seen Naruto-kun either. I have to find him too."

"All right. Good luck." Hinata then turns to head back out into the war zone, when Iruka grabs her shoulder. "Hinata, look after Naruto . . . won't you?" Hinata smiles and nods as she heads back out into the chaos of the village.

Meanwhile, Tsunade quickly makes her way to the academy to try and help with the evacuation of the students, unaware that the students have already made it to the tunnels. As she moves past the burning wreckage of some of the buildings around her, she notices that the area has become strangely void of any attacking shinobi. Tsunade slows down her pace as the strange feeling soon begins to intensify around her. The scene is quiet, with no villagers or leaf shinobi in the area either. Only the sound of fire crackling around her can be heard amongst the utter silence surrounding her. Tsunade stops in an open area between a number of buildings that are all ablaze from the initial explosions from the invasion. She looks around the area suspiciously as she knows that she is not the only one around. Finally she has an odd feeling fall upon her setting the hair on the back of her neck up straight up. She turns around to end of the street partially engulfed by black smoke and clenches her fists tight.

"I knew that you would be behind this," Tsunade says with a stern look across her face. "Orochimaru! Get out here!"

Orochimaru's unmistakable laugh can be heard coming from behind the dark cloud of smoke that now fills the entire street. "Tsunade, I am glad to see that none of my new allies got to you first." Orochimaru says from the darkness.

"Show yourself you bastard!" Tsunade shouts, "Stop hiding you coward and face me."

"You know Tsunade, I had thought about facing you one to one. But in the end, I thought up a scenario that will turn out to be so much more fun for both of us." Orochimaru laughs. The sudden sound of bending wood can be heard from behind the smoke as Orochimaru has begun his plan.

Tsunade readies herself in a fighting stance preparing for whatever it is that Orochimaru has in store for her. _"What do you have planned you sick freak?" _Tsunade asks herself.

As the smoke from the raging fires fills the sky and blocks her path, Tsunade can see two dark outlines amidst the dark shroud of the choking smoke. Suddenly two three meter high rounded wooden planks more then a meter wide and half a meter deep fall out from the dark smoke, landing hard on the dirt.

"_What is this? Those look like . . . coffin lids . . ." _Tsunade says to herself, just as two dark silhouettes begin to emerge from the black smoke. As the silhouettes true forms come into Tsunade's view, she is beyond shocked by what she see's. "No . . . this . . . is not possible!" Tsunade's words offer a response of laughter from Orochimaru as he too emerges from the black smoke with two kunai in his hands, both connected to the bottom of the kunai's.

The smaller of the two silhouettes makes eye contact with Tsunade as it steps forward and into full view. "Sis?" The figure asks. "You haven't aged much at all!"

Tsunade falls to her knees as tears begin to run down her face. "Nawaki? . . . no . . ." Tsunade then turns her attention to the second figure that emerges from the smoke. "Dan? . . ."

"You still look beautiful Tsunade." Says the resurrected former boyfriend of Tsunade, now reduced to a pawn of Orochimaru's bidding. "I am not familiar with this technique. Why have we been summoned here?"

Tsunade puts aside her tears for a moment as her rage builds up inside of her as Orochimaru has decided to exploit Tsunade's biggest weakness. "Orochimaru . . . YOU BASTARD!" Tsunade lashes out at her former comrade only to receive a response of mocking laughter. "There is no need for this! If you wanted to kill me, then KILL ME! There was no need to do this!"

"You're probably right Tsunade." Orochimaru says as he implants the two kunai into the back of Nawaki and Dan's head. "But I find this to be so much more fun." Tsunade can only look on in horror as steam begins to rise from the resurrected bodies of her once cherished loved ones.

Meanwhile, Shikamaru struggles as hard as he can to maintain his grip on Sasuke who is managing to overpower him with the sheer force of his chakra. Both opponents grimace as they struggle back and forth to break the other's concentration.

"_Chikushou!" _Shikamaru says to himself. _"I can't believe that he has become this strong. What have I been doing for a year? I still am no match for him. He is pushing through my shadow bind with almost no effort at all. I think maybe it is time to use my backup plan."_

"You still don't understand do you Shikamaru?" Sasuke's words send shivers up Shikamaru's spine as the seal on the back of Sasuke's begins to open. The black flames of Sasuke's curse seal begin to envelop the left side of Sasuke's body, stopping its progression in the middle of Sasuke's chest. "You have no chance of defeating me here."

Sasuke's arrogant attitude causes him to fail to notice the extension of Shikamaru's shadow creeping up the tree just behind him. The shadow expands behind Sasuke to take up the entire width of the tree. Only Shikamaru knows, just what its purpose is.

Shikamaru cracks a confident smirk as beads of sweat continue to run down his face. "You may be right Sasuke. But there is one thing that you fail to realize as well."

"Oh really? And just what is that?"

"That I never reveal all of my intentions with the first attack." Shikamaru's shadow begins to churn as if vibrations had begun to flow from inside. "In fact, my first move is almost always, nothing more . . . than a . . ."

Suddenly Sasuke's attention is drawn behind him as Keinea leaps out from the shadow with his fist lined up and aimed straight at Sasuke.

"A FAKE!" Keinea shouts, as Shikamaru releases the shadow bind at almost the exact moment that Keinea's fist connects hard with Sasuke's face, sending the missing nin hurdling into a tree trunk just behind Shikamaru.

Shikamaru and Keinea stand side by side as they ready for Sasuke to stand back up. "That turned out to be a decent plan Shikamaru!" Keinea exclaims as he readies himself in a fighting stance, ready to face off against Sasuke.

"Yea. But I am not sure how to proceed from here." Shikamaru says as he notices Sasuke beginning to stand back up, with his curse seal receding back to its point of origin. "Sasuke is formidable in both close range and long range attacks. He was ranked number one amongst all of the genin graduates and was always first in all of the classes at the academy. He is not someone that we can underestimate. And for the last year he has been training with Orochimaru, so there is no telling how much he has improved."

Sasuke reaches a vertical base and removes some blood from the edge of his lip. "That hurt." He says, just before he spits more blood out from his mouth to the ground as he looks on to his new adversary with the utmost disdain. "Who are you?"

Keinea stands up tall with an arrogant look of his own to combat Sasuke's scowl. "Akira Keinea. I already know that you are Uchiha Sasuke, I managed to hear everything you said while I was hiding in Shikamaru's shadow. I'd love to get further acquainted, but I don't plan on letting you live long enough."

Keinea's words bring a smile to Sasuke's face as he does not seem to be intimidated. _"I see. So this is the brother of the target. We need his brother alive, but we don't need him alive. I will finish this one quickly."_

"You shouldn't act so careless around him Keinea." Shikamaru adds, "I mean it when I say this guy isn't to be underestimated."

"I know that!" Keinea says sternly as a bead of sweat begins to run down his face. "I can feel this guys' chakra just as well as you can. But even with that being said, I think that it would be wise if I took him on . . . alone."

"What! Are you insane? Our chances will be higher if we fight together!"

"You may be right Shikamaru, but you said it yourself that the people of the village need our help to fend off the attackers." Keinea readies himself once again in a fighting stance as he begins to plan his first moves. "I may not be able to beat this guy, but you need to get away and help out the rest of your comrades. I am just a guest here. There is no need for both of us to waste our time on this guy. Besides, I have a jutsu that should be able to restrain him, if I can get it off then there should be no problem taking him into custody . . . or kill him."

Shikamaru tries to come up with a flaw in Keinea's reasoning, but deep down he knows that he is right. "I suppose you're right. Be careful though Keinea! He likes to use katon skills, and the advanced bloodline based in his eyes allows him to copy any techniques that see's. So don't use any techniques that you yourself can't counter."

"Got it."

"Also, he has a tremendous amount of chakra at his disposal. If he fully releases the seal on the back of his neck, he will become too much for you to handle. And if that happens, do yourself a favor . . . and hide. Use your shadow walking technique to flee the area."

"It won't come to that." Keinea says with a determined look. "But I will remember your advice."

Shikamaru then begins to run off back toward the center of the village where a large number of shinobi have joined the fight against the invaders. To Keinea's surprise, Sasuke does nothing to stop Shikamaru from escaping the battle.

"You were so automate to try and prevent that jounin from leaving, and yet you just let Shikamaru run away?" Keinea asks.

"I don't need to worry about that loser. He will die soon enough. You however, have sparked my interest . . . and I would like the tactile pleasure of tearing you apart. Then I can move on to my real target without any interruptions."

"I see." Keinea places his weight down on his left leg as he readies to attack. "Come and get some Sasuke!"

Both shinobi charge at one another with Sasuke leading in the speed department, kicking up a large stream of dirt behind him just before their kunai clash amongst the tree's sending sparks into the air as the battle between the two has begun.

Just outside the Hokage building, Naruto has managed to subdue a large number of the attacking shinobi by simply overwhelming them with numbers. Naruto leaps off of the building walls striking down several shinobi by increasing his numbers with shadow clones, landing on top of the shinobi with fists flailing.

"GET OUT OF MY HOME!" Naruto shouts as several clones surround one of the attackers. The clones charge in fast, sliding along the ground as they all deliver a thunderous kick to the chest and head of the shinobi. "U-ZU-MA-KI!" The clones shout as the real Naruto thunders down from above. "NARUTO RENDAN!" He says, delivering a massive stomp to the back of the shinobi's head driving his face deep into the ground.

Naruto disperses the clones as it seems that the amount of attackers has begun to dwindle around him. More then twenty sound shinobi lay strewn around Naruto. All knocked out. "Why does this kinda thing always have to happen to our village?" Naruto says out loud.

Naruto hears the sound of someone running coming from around the corner, and he readies himself again to attack. The source of the footsteps is soon revealed to be Hinata, who has been looking for Naruto since leaving the tunnels.

"Hinata?" Naruto asks with a dumbfounded look on his face, unused to seeing the now physically fit Hinata's physique standing before him. "What are you doing here? You should be in the tunnels."

"I just came from there, I had to come and find . . ." Hinata stammers as her shy nature still has not changed. "I came out to try and find . . ."

While Naruto and Hinata calmly converse below, the mysterious white shinobi stands perched atop the Hokage's office building, watching the two of them with much interest. "Sasuke-sama's target . . ." The white clad shinobi says aloud. "That brat should be dead by now. Where the hell is Sasuke-sama? Orochimaru's plan was to have Sasuke-sama deal with this kid while he dealt with the Hokage. And as soon as Toshida returns, I will bring him before Orochimaru . . . and then I will be in his favor!"

The white shinobi can hear Naruto and Hinata planning to go off in search of the rest of the leaf village shinobi force, and that is something the White shinobi cannot allow. "If I were to capture that kid . . . I could bring him before Sasuke-sama for an easy kill. Then I will become Orochimaru-sama's favorite!"

The white shinobi places his hands down on the roof top he is standing on as he eyes up Naruto below. _"Well then. These tiles should do just fine!" _The white shinobi raises his hands and begins a quick jutsu. _Tiger, Dragon, Rat, Tiger_, _**"Kawara Shuriken!" **(Roof Tile Shuriken)_

The roof tiles around the white shinobi begin to slide off the roof at incredible speed completely removing all of the tiles from the ceiling as the hurdle downward toward the unsuspecting Naruto.

Naruto suddenly hears the sound of the crashing tiles barring down on him and turns his attention upward. Shock overwhelms Naruto in an instant, but with a quick burst of speed and quick thinking, Naruto leaps forward, pushing Hinata away and to the ground, letting the entire weight of the roof tile landslide completely engulf him.

"NARUTO-KUN!" Hinata screams as she watches helplessly from the ground as Naruto is burying beneath hundreds of roof tiles, breaking and shattering as they collide with one another.

The avalanche of tiles finishes its decent completely burying anything within a ten-meter radius beneath hundreds of pounds of pressure. Hinata frantically tries to remove the tiles, but her progress is soon halted as she realizes that something else has descended from the roof top.

"Hmpf. He pushed you out of the way eh?" The white shinobi says, as a cocky look pierces outward from his eyes at a very angry Hinata. "I was planning on rendering you both unconscious. That way I could just leave you here, while I took that brat into my custody. It's a shame really. You are almost too pretty for me to kill, but I suppose it can't be helped."

"Who are you . . . what do you want with Naruto-kun?" Hinata asks as her Byakugan activates.

"Who I am is not important. But I suppose what I want with him is. I need to bring this boy as a gift to my masters."

"A gift? Why?" Hinata asks.

"Because that brat . . . has a date with death."


	25. The Sound of Battle

**_Chapter 25: The Sound of Battle_**

Hinata stands next to a pile of roof tiles that has completely engulfed Naruto, who lay prone underneath. Her mind races as she knows not of Naruto's condition, and her fears only get worse as the mysterious, and deadly white shinobi stands before her with the desire to take what is ever left of Naruto away from her.

"I don't care what you think Naruto has . . . I won't let you take him!" Hinata's eyes flare up and her Byakugan activates as she takes the fighting stance of the gentle fist. "If you want to get to him, you will have to go through me."

The white shinobi laughs with amusement as Hinata stands focused and ready to fight. "Well little girl, no offense to you and your ability, but I planned to do that in the first place." The white shinobi then disappears with a quick burst of speed leaving only an after image in his stead.

Hinata turns around quickly to just barely block a kunai strike aimed at the back of her neck. She braces her kunai against her forearm as she uses all of her strength to hold back the attacking shinobi. With a forward thrust, she parries the attacker's kunai away and then leans in forward to strike with an open palm laced with chakra. The white shinobi barely dodges a direct hit to his stomach, but still feels the harsh sting of the jyuuken along his stomach muscles. Hinata follows up by throwing her kunai directly at the recovering shinobi who manages to smack the kunai away with his own, leaving him prone to a thunderous shot from Hinata's right hand, nailing him square in the chest. The white shinobi reels as he realizes he has underestimated his unsuspecting opponent.

"_Chikushou! What a tremendous strike. I can barely breathe. I should have researched the jyuuken more before this mission began. Looks like I have to show a few more of my cards then I originally planned. _The white shinobi begins to roll up his left sleeve as Hinata charges in for another attack.

As Hinata gets within striking distance, she can hear the faint but high pitched sound ringing throughout the area. Her vision quickly becomes blurred as even her Byakugan begins to see doubles of everything. She loses concentration for only a second, and the white shinobi capitalizes, leaping into the air and striking Hinata hard with a hard knee just under the chin, sending the Hyuuga to the ground hard.

"What's going on . . . My head is pounding . . . I can barely see anything." Hinata says out loud, not expecting an answer that the white shinobi is more then happy to give.

"Sound waves my dear. I have become Orochimaru-sama's ultimate weapon. That is all that you need to know. Because soon . . . you won't be hearing anything at all." The white shinobi lifts Hinata up from the ground and places his hand only an inch away from Hinata's stomach.

A loud booming sound similar to that of a jet engine echoes through the area as a powerful blast of wind and sound waves send Hinata hurdling through the air and into the shrubbery more than twenty meters away.

The white shinobi turns to the pile of roof tiles behind him and places his hands in the seal of the tiger. The pile suddenly begins to shake and shift as Naruto's limp frame is pushed up from underneath the tiles by a pillar of solid rock. As the white shinobi reaches over to grab Naruto off of the pillar, he is beaten to the punch by a battered and bruised Hinata, who scoops Naruto up and then leaps to one of the stone pillars and then from the pillar to the roof top.

"I won't let you harm Naruto-kun!" Hinata states with a passionate intensity in her eyes.

"You don't have a choice you little bug." The white shinobi responds as he leaps high into the air with two kunai at the ready. "And it is about time that you were squashed!"

The white shinobi flies closer and closer to the prone Hinata, determined to protect the unconscious Naruto from any further harm. _"I can't let him hurt Naruto-kun . . . I can't dodge as easily if I have to protect Naruto-kun . . . I have to help the rest of the village too . . . what can I do?"_

"TIME TO DIE LITTLE BUG!" The white shinobi screams as he narrows down on his kill.

Hinata closes her eyes as she tries to concentrate her chakra in the right way. _"Please . . . please I have to do it . . . concentrate . . . concentrate." _As the white shinobi comes within a few feet Hinata, her chakra flares up as it begins to rotate around her at high speed. _"That's it!"_

The white shinobi finds himself unable to get out of the way as Hinata's chakra turns into a full spherical rotation around her and Naruto. _"Dammit! I can't dodge!"_

"**_KAITEN!_**" Hinata screams as she raises up just high enough on the balls of her feet to begin the completion of the divine rotation. The white shinobi collides with the spinning mass of chakra and its repelled twenty feet into the air, as if he were struck by truck. The white shinobi then falls back down to earth landing through the roof top of a nearby house just in front of the Hokage building.

Hinata wastes no time and she quickly leaves the area with Naruto draped over her shoulder. "I have to find help for Naruto-kun. The triage center shouldn't be far. I will drop Naruto-kun off there, and then go out again to look for everyone else."

Meanwhile, Tsunade stands still petrified by Orochimaru's sinister plot to force her to fight her deceased boyfriend and little brother. Dan and Nawaki begin to advance toward Tsunade as Orochimaru looks on with delight. "When I used this technique against Sarutobi-sensei, I needed opponents that were strong enough to help me defeat him. In this case, I have summoned the perfect shields to defend me from your attacks."

"YOU BASTARD!" Tsunade screams as tears run down her cheeks. "There was no need for this!"

"I was serious when I told you I could bring them back. I made all of the preparations necessary to bring them back, and all you had to do was heal my arms. But you decided to betray me, to save this pathetic village. So I had their souls still prepared for summoning, and all I needed was a couple of sacrifices. Luckily my new associate was happy to provide some for me." Orochimaru leans his head and neck back as he removes the sword of Kusanagi from the bowels of his stomach, grasping the katana's handle in his left hand and pointing the tip of the blade at Tsunade. "Attack!" Orochimaru commands, sending both Nawaki and Dan forward in a fast rush toward their old associate.

Tsunade readies herself in a fighting stance, her fists clenched and ready to attack. But her mind is ravaged as the mere sight of her fallen family has done serious damage to the Hokage's mind. Nawaki leaps into the air striking at Tsunade with a spin kick that is easily blocked by Tsunade's forearm. The Hokage's natural instinct is to follow up with an attack with her free hand, but the shock of seeing her younger brother alive is too much for her, and Tsunade hesitates, allowing Dan to strike her hard across the face with a straight right hook.

Orochimaru looks on with delight, laughing maniacally as his plan seems to be working perfectly. "I knew you wouldn't be able to hit them back Tsunade."

Tsunade's anger explodes as she charges head on toward Orochimaru, her fist clenched and ready to strike. Orochimaru stands his ground with his ever-present smirk still brandished across his face. As Tsunade gets within only an arms reach, Orochimaru reaches to his side, pulling Nawaki in front of him as a shield. Tsunade stops dead in her tracks as she cannot bring herself to strike her little brother, even if he is already dead. The momentary lapse is just another opening for Dan to use to strike Tsunade yet again, sending her to the ground.

"_I can't do it." _Tsunade says to herself. _"I can't hit them. I have waited for so long just to see them again. Now that they are here . . . I have to fight them?" _Her three opponents begin to slowly advance on the distraught Hokage. _"Damn you Orochimaru. I will kill you!"_

The two resurrected shinobi charge in again splitting off, attacking in a V shaped pattern. The both come in on either side of Tsunade, and Nawaki strikes high with spin kick and Dan strikes at the same time with a low back heel trip. Tsunade crosses her forearms in front of her, blocking Nawaki's kick, but Dan's sweep takes her off her feet. She plants a hand on the ground, pivoting around in time to dodge another attack from Nawaki. Tsunade kicks up to her feet, and leaps into the air, twisting and turning as she dodges numerous shuriken thrown into the air by her opponents below.

"_Clever Tsunade." _Orochimaru says to himself. _"You don't want to strike your precious family, so you wish to rely on your dodging skills which are legendary. These two may not be strong enough to catch you . . . _but I am." Orochimaru then disappears in a blinding display of speed.

As Tsunade dodges a straight jab from Nawaki, she blocks a thrust kick from Dan with the front of her knee. She loses focus of her surroundings only for an instant as she blocks, and Orochimaru races by almost too fast for Tsunade to see, slashing her across the back with his sword, just before Nawaki manages to land a stab with his kunai into Tsunade's left shoulder. Tsunade grimaces briefly in pain at the two pronged attack, opening up her right side to a thundering knee thrust from Dan straight to Tsunade's stomach. Orochimaru follows up, striking Tsunade hard in the back of the head with the but end of his sword's handle, knocking Tsunade to the ground.

"You're pathetic." Orochimaru laughs as he looks at Tsunade trying to get back to her feet. "To think that you could be beaten so easily . . . it's actually quite sad."

Tsunade's only response is an angered scream as she lunges toward Orochimaru, only to have Dan and Nawaki once again stand in front of him. Tsunade channels chakra to her left, and then releases it at the right moment just before she strikes the ground in front of the three of them, opening up a crater in the earth below them. The three shinobi fall into the crater, losing their defensive formation in the confusion. Orochimaru becomes blinded by the flying dirt and dust and is unable to react as Tsunade strikes him hard in the face with a left handed punch, sending her former teammate hurdling into the air. Tsunade leaps into the air following Orochimaru's flight path. She lines up the helpless Orochimaru, and leans in with a spin kick that connects with Orochimaru's rib cage. However, it turns out to be Orochimaru's favorite substitution as his body changes into a large puddle of mud that splatters outward before falling to the ground below.

"Shit!" Tsunade says as she lands back on the ground. "I almost had him."

Tsunade's enemies stand behind her in their defensive stance yet again. "You were so close Tsunade. But you were just a little too far behind. Let's continue . . . shall we?"

Meanwhile, the fight between Keinea and Sasuke continues to wage back and forth as both shinobi combat one another slowly moving back into the village. Punches, kicks, kunai strikes and counters make up the majority of the initial stages of the skirmish, with Sasuke easily proving to be the superior.

Keinea lunges in with a swipe of his kunai to the mid section that Sasuke easily dodges, pulling his abdomen back and out of Keinea's reach. Keinea seizes the opening and lands an uppercut to Sasuke's jaw only to be kicked in the chest by Sasuke as he flips backward in an effort to recover from the uppercut. Keinea does a backward roll and reaches into his pouch to remove another kunai. As he looks up he can see a flurry of shuriken flying directly at him. With quick reflexes, Keinea manages to parry the shuriken away but does not notice Sasuke moving in behind him. The sin shinobi soon feels the hot sting of Sasuke's kunai blade across his face as the leaf missing nin slashes Keinea across the bridge of the nose, just barely missing an eye. Keinea tries to recover, bringing his own kunai up to match Sasuke's, only to have the faster shinobi sneak up behind him yet again, dealing another slash with his kunai, this time to Keinea's left knee. Keinea grimaces in pain only for moment, but the time lapse is enough for Sasuke to deliver another blow. A firm sidekick to the face of Keinea, sending him tumbling backward and into a nearby tree.

"You overestimated your own ability kid." Sasuke says in a menacing tone. "You are years behind me. Just like the rest of the trash in this village, and you had no right to try and step up to my level." Sasuke tosses his kunai once in the air, catching the blade in his hand before reading it to throw at Keinea. "But nevertheless kid, this fight is over." Sasuke side arm throws his kunai directly at Keinea's face.

Suddenly Keinea slips into the shadows completely disappearing from Sasuke's view, leaving the kunai to impact against the tree stump. As Sasuke recovers from the momentary shock of Keinea's action, he tries to focus in with his sharingan eye in a vein attempt to detect where the sin shinobi has disappeared to.

Keinea emerges from just in front of Sasuke, attacking with a random kunai slash that Sasuke avoids easily, leaping high into the air. Keinea appears above Sasuke just as suddenly as he had disappeared, leaping out from a shadow-covered tree branch and delivering a spin kick straight between Sasuke's shoulder blades, driving him hard into the ground as Keinea retreats into the safety of the shadows. As Sasuke staggers back up to his feet, Keinea quickly moves through the shadows on an intercept course. Sasuke releases a lightning fast series of hand seals as he attempts to counter Keinea's oncoming attack. _Serpent, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger_

_**KATON: GOUKAKYUU NO JUTSU! **(Grand Fireball Technique) _

An enormous chakra-fueled fireball explodes from Sasuke's mouth as it speeds toward Keinea's shadow trench. Sasuke pours more and more chakra into his fireball complete reducing a large portion of the area to ash before he discontinues his fire stream. As Sasuke takes a closer look to inspect the area that has been torched, Keinea emerges from a shadow behind him with a few minor burns and a stream of smoke pillowing out from his heated clothing. He emerges quickly and undetected as he attempts another strike against the unsuspecting Sasuke. With the blink of an eye, Sasuke spins around and collides kunai with Keinea, blocking his attacking and leaving Keinea open. Sasuke strikes Keinea with a forward thrust kick before Keinea even plants his feet on the ground. The kick sends Keinea further into the air, and Sasuke crouches down to the ground quickly before he follows suit.

Sasuke follows Keinea's trajectory, staying in Keinea's shadow and just out of his vision. Sasuke strikes at Keinea with a telegraphed kick that Keinea easily blocks with his forearm. Sasuke attempts to fake out Keinea by telegraphing another kick, but the seasoned sin shinobi does not fall for Sasuke's ruse. He pushes off of Sasuke's leg and spins around to face his attacker, and offering a firm left hook in mid air that Sasuke manages to catch in the palm of his hand. Sasuke uses Keinea's momentum against him and manages to pull off a mid air judo style flip over his shoulder sending Keinea to the ground. Sasuke follows through with his own momentum, somersaulting in the same manner and path that Keinea had just been sent on, and Sasuke lands a thunderous leg drop to Keinea's chest breaking two of his ribs and fracturing his sternum as well as leaving a crater in the ground underneath him.

"_**SHISHI RENDAN!" **(Lion Combo)_ Sasukescreams before he quickly kicks up to his feet as he confidently moves in for the kill as Keinea is left writhing in pain on the ground.

"Well, that was a bit more impressive!" Sasuke says, as he wipes away some blood from the side of his mouth. "But now I grow tired of this warm up!" Sasuke raises his kunai in the air with the blade pointed downward as he thrusts it down toward Keinea.

Keinea quickly throws his hands together in the seal of the horse with thumbs connected and he slips into his own shadow disappearing from Sasuke's sight. Sasuke halts his stabbing motion as he quickly tries to determine where Keinea will appear next.

"This trick is getting old!" Sasuke jokes. "It's a useful one, but I will notice its weak point very soon." As Sasuke continues surveying the area, he turns his back to Keinea's solitary shadow in the middle of the forest opening. Keinea quickly emerges from the shadow as Sasuke turns his back, and makes a run for the nearby shadows cast upon the forest floor from the canopy above. Sasuke notices Keinea quickly and throws his kunai at the fleeing nin in time to clip Keinea's other knee just before Keinea falls into the shadows again.

"_The shadow on the forest floor is gone . . . it must have been he that was casting the shadow." _Sasuke deducts as he continues searching the area. _"I see . . . he can only travel from shadow to shadow if the shadows are connected. The extent of his technique must limit him severely . . . but most opponents are likely caught off guard by his ability to seemingly disappear into thin air. That's how Shikamaru was able to dodge my attack. He must have been pulled into the shadows with this kid. All the spots that he has attacked me from have been area's that were dense in shadow . . . he must need to enter and leave the shadows through an opening large enough for him to fit in. That means all I have to do to locate the next area he will attack from . . . is to find the area with shadow covering large enough to attack from. If he was able to bring Shikamaru into his little shadow realm . . . then other objects must be able to enter it as well . . . hmpf . . . this is all too easy."_

Sasuke looks slightly over his left shoulder to an area on one of the tree trunks that is covered by a larger amount of shadow. _"No . . . still too small." _Sasuke continues his nonchalant search until he notices a thick tree branch above him with a sufficient amount of shadow covering. "THERE YOU ARE!" Sasuke tosses his kunai straight into the air and toward the tree branch above him. The kunai disappears into the shadow, sending a small splurge of blood out from the shadow. Keinea then emerges from the shadow directly beneath Sasuke, delivering a swift kick to Sasuke's chin sending him back and into the trunk of another tree. Keinea the attempts to flee the area on foot, running off toward the village with Sasuke's kunai still stuck in his leg, and a new one stuck in his right shoulder.

"_This is insane . . . he is too strong . . . he is too smart . . . and he's too fast. I have to get out of here!" _Keinea says to himself as he runs as fast as he can, hobbling horribly as both his wounds have severely hindered his mobility. He reaches back and removes the kunai from his knee, and then the one from his shoulder. Grimacing in pain, Keinea continues on his way back to the village.

Meanwhile, Sasuke stands up from his painful experience and spits blood out from his mouth. "Now you have made me mad!" The seal on the back of Sasuke's neck begins to open as Sasuke's curse seal begins to move across his entire body, riddling it with the heaven's seal's ominous black flame. Like a bullet from a gun Sasuke takes off in pursuit of Keinea, his speed more then doubled and his fists clenched and his arms swept back as he leaps from tree to tree with alarming speed.

Keinea reaches back into his pouch and removes a large scroll from his equipment. One the scroll is a set of kanji with the name "Yoshitsune" written on it. Keinea continues to try and make his way into the village, but deep down he knows that his chakra is running low, and his body has been ravaged. _"I'm sorry brother, but I have to try and summon him. He may be my only chance of defeating this guy. Please Yoshitsune-sama . . . listen to me . . ." _The hair on the back of Keinea's neck stands on end as he can feel the pressure of Sasuke's chakra moving in fast. "Shit! I don't have much time." Keinea says, as he wipes his thumb along the wound on his shoulder before opening the scroll and lining the text with his crimson signature. "This may turn out to be a really bad idea . . . but at this point I don't have a choice!"

Keinea turns around to see Sasuke closing in fast and he quickly ties the scroll back up and places it between his teeth as he crouches down to one knee to perform the summoning. _Boar, dog, bird, monkey, ram, dragon, tiger, hare, ox, horse._

"_**NINPO: KUCHIYOSE . . ."**_

Sasuke lunges in forward only a few meters away from Keinea with his fist ready to strike as Keinea completes the summoning.

"_**YOJIMBO!" **(Bodyguard) _

A large puff of smoke fills the area blinding Sasuke temporarily as he continues on his downward angle only to be smacked away by an armored gauntlet holding a black wooden sheath less then two feet long with a six-inch handle on either end. Sasuke is catapulted up into the tree's where he grabs onto a branch before swinging around to land in a perfect perch atop the branch, as the curse seal recedes back into is containment. "What the hell!"

"What did you call me here for kid? And why am I the only one here?" A dark foreboding voice says from amongst the cloud of smoke. As it begins to dissipate, a figure starts to take shape. A dark figure sporting a traditional red Samurai armor set complete with helmet and mask stands in between Sasuke and Keinea, looking around the area with a set of bright white eyes, vacant of almost all feeling. "Answer me kid. Where is Benkei? And where is the other brat?"

Keinea bows before the armored warrior that stands less than six feet tall, only slightly taller then Keinea himself. "I'm sorry Yoshitsune-sama. I beg you . . . please fight with me."

"I don't answer to you kid, you should know that by now!" Yoshitsune snaps.

"I know, but I need your . . ."

"You wouldn't even be able to summon me if it wasn't for your forging of the summoning scroll. That and the fact that you share the same blood as your father, who was able to summon both of us at once. You and that brother of yours need to perform the technique in unison just to get us to come out." Yoshitsune crosses his arms in front of his chest and begins to tap his foot. "So just why in the hell should I help someone as pitiful and weak as you anyway?"

"Yoshitsune-sama, it is because I am weak that I require your help. This enemy is a formidable one that I was not able to handle by my lonesome, and I am confident that someone of your strength and wisdom can surely eliminate this arrogant foe." Keinea says with an obvious amount of flattery in his voice.

"Stop kissing my ass kid!" Yoshitsune scolds. "You didn't bring me out here just to . . ."

"What a useless summon you have here brat." Sasuke shouts, interrupting Yoshitsune in mid sentence much to the armored warriors disdain. "You can't even get this useless pawn of yours to fight without flattering his ass to death. What do you expect to accomplish? Keep yapping back and forth until I get bored and simply withdraw?"

Yoshitsune lowers his arms to his side and clasps his sheath hard in his right hand, turning his back to Keinea and staring a hole throw the arrogant Sasuke. "Hey kid," Yoshitsune says.

"Yes?" Keinea responds.

"Is that the punk that you need taken out?"

"Yes Yoshitsune-sama."

"Hmmmm." Yoshitsune raises his hand up to point up to Sasuke as he offers a traditional challenge to the perched sound nin. "Then he will die by my hand!" Yoshitsune clasps both handles of the sheath in each hand and then quickly swipes out the blades concealed inside with a speed so fast that neither shinobi can clearly see the two nineteen-inch blade wakizashi's (Japanese short swords) Yoshitsune then disappears without a trace leaving the sheath to fall to the ground.

"Where did he . . ." Sasuke cannot even finish his sentence before several rapid slashes cut away the tree branch on either side of Sasuke's position, sending him tumbling to the ground. Before he even hits the ground, Yoshitsune appears in mid air in front of him. Turning his blade around so that the dull side is exposed, Yoshitsune bats Sasuke out of mid air and straight to the ground below, hitting the ground hard at the exact same time as Yoshitsune's sheath.

"_What the hell was that?" _Sasuke asks himself as he quickly kicks up to his feet. _"He moved so fast even I couldn't keep up with him."_ Before Sasuke can analyze any further, Yoshitsune strikes yet again, sneaking in behind Sasuke and delivering a brutal slash to the back of Sasuke's hamstrings. Sasuke grimaces in pain only for a second before Yoshitsune appears before him again and delivers a tremendous knee to just under Sasuke's chin, sending the sound nin tumbling backward.

Yoshitsune stands confident with his wakizashis drawn to his sides, "It seems your mouth is finally silent, maybe now you can offer me a real fight!"

Sasuke grinds his teeth as Yoshitsune's arrogant demeanor is enough to make the missing leaf nins blood boil. The seal on Sasuke's back begins to release as his curse seal expands to encompass his entire body with its sinister black flame. "Now let's see if I can shut YOU up!"

Elsewhere in the village Neji and Lee stand back to back against one another with concerned yet confident looks on their faces. Lee stands with his left arm behind his back and his right hand raised in front of him while Neji stands with his left palm at his hip and his right palm pointing forward. The two seem ready to fight as it soon revealed that the two of them are surrounded by roughly thirty of the invading shinobi.

"It doesn't look like there is any means of escape for us at this point." Neji examines the area with his Byakugan and can find no openings in which the two can exploit in order to escape. "I suppose we will just have to try and hold our ground until help arrives."

Lee shakes his head as an arrogant smile comes over his face. "I never thought you would fall back into the pessimistic type Neji."

"What are you talking about? We are outnumbered more then ten to one."

"It doesn't matter Neji!" Rock Lee's eyes flare up as the ever inspiring words of his sensei echo throughout his head. "We are both in the SPRINGTIME OF YOUTH! AND IT WOULD BE FOOLISH OF US TO TRY AND DENY OR STRENGTH AT THIS POINT! We can win here Neji. We just need to work together."

Neji closes his eyes as a confident smirk comes over his face as well. "You're right Lee. We should not take these opponents lightly at all, and this fight may cost both of us more then may be willing to give. But this is our home . . . and these guests . . . have overstayed their welcome. Get ready Lee!"

"YYYYYYOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" (All right!)

All of the fighters stand ready throughout the village as all of the battles are ready to erupt. Tsunade continues her battle against her resurrect loved ones and her former comrade Orochimaru. Sasuke and Keinea's battle comes to a climax as Keinea's bodyguard Yoshitsune prepares for battle against the missing nin ready to fight in his curse seal level one form. Lee and Neji face overwhelming odds against a small army of invaders, and Hinata struggles to bring the unconscious Naruto to safety with the dangerous white shinobi in close pursuit. Jiraiya and the Elite S.I.C.T. team are still speeding their way home to aid in the fighting, while the Raikage looks onto the carnage in the village with a heavy burden of guilt weighing upon his heart.

Meanwhile, back in the thundering wasteland of the village of sin, the Raikage's adopted son Seshen Raiken, awakens from his battle with Toshida. The Cloud nin struggles to his feet and then begins his long return back to the rendezvous point he had with his father, completely unaware that the battle has begun without him.

_(Authors Note: Sorry for the lack of updates folks. I know sometimes its frustrating to all three of you :P School this semester is insane for my course load and I am moving to the city sometime next week so I may not have many chances to write more in the near future. But be patient and I promise I will have it finished eventually.)_


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